User-extensible common schema in a shared database

• US 9,275,082 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharma, Anshu
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, MONICA M
• Application Number:
  US13/748,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/781, 707/770, 705/26, 705/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

A user-extensible common schema is described in the context of a shared database. In one example, an apparatus includes a shared database organized around a common schema. First and second applications provides access to the shared database using the common schema, the first and second applications having first and second schema extensions having first and second sets of additional objects, defined by the first and second applications, respectively. The first and second applications present views of and operations on the shared database that are extended by the respective schema extension.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a shared database organized around a common schema defined by metadata, the shared database being shared by multiple users having access to different subsets of the data in the shared database;

a first application to provide access to the shared database using the common schema, the first application having a purchased first schema extension received from a first identified user, the first schema extension being defined by metadata and having a first set of additional objects, the first set of additional objects being defined by the first application, the first schema extension making changes to the common schema metadata to change a view of an object of the shared database and wherein the first application tracks the changes to the common schema metadata; and

a second application to provide access to the shared database using the common schema, the second application having a second purchased schema extension received from a second identified user, the second schema extension having a second set of additional objects, the second set of additional objects being defined by the second application,

wherein the first and second applications present views of and operations on the shared database that are extended by the respective schema extension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first schema extension is purchased in a marketplace of schema extensions for the shared database.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second sets of additional objects use the same names.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first and second sets of additional objects use the same data model, the data model being based on the shared database.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein changes to the metadata are changes by a user to change a view of an object in the shared database for that user and the first application tracks the changes made by the user to the metadata.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the changed view of an object of the shared database applies to that user with the first application.

7. A method comprising:

sharing a shared database with multiple users, the shared database being organized around a common schema defined by metadata, the multiple users having access to different subsets of the data in the shared database;

receiving a purchased first schema extension from a first identified user, the first schema extension making changes to the common schema metadata to change a view of an object of the shared database;

providing access to the shared database using the common schema, through a first application having the first schema extension, the first schema extension having a first set of additional objects, the first set of additional objects being defined by the first application wherein the first application tracks the changes to the common schema metadata;

receiving a purchased second schema extension from a second identified user;

providing access to the shared database using the common schema, through a second application having the second schema extension, the second schema extension having a second set of additional objects, the second set of additional objects being defined by the second application; and

presenting views of and operations on the shared database that are extended by the respective schema extensions of the first and second applications.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising purchasing database definitions in a marketplace and customizing the shared database using the purchased definitions.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the first and second sets of additional objects use the same names.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the first and second sets of additional objects use the same data model, the data model being based on the shared database.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving changes to the metadata comprises receiving changes from the user to change a view of an object in the shared database for that user and wherein tracking the changes comprises tracking changes made by the user to the metadata through the first application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein changing a view of an object of the shared database applies to that user with the first application based on the changed metadata.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when operated on by the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

sharing a shared database with multiple users, the shared database being organized around a common schema defined by metadata, the multiple users having access to different subsets of the data in the shared database;

receiving a purchased first schema extension from a first identified user, the first schema extension making changes to the common schema metadata to change a view of an object of the shared database;

providing access to the shared database using the common schema, through a first application having the first schema extension, the first schema extension having a first set of additional objects, the first set of additional objects being defined by the first application wherein the first application tracks the changes to the common schema metadata;

receiving a purchased second schema extension from a second identified user;

providing access to the shared database using the common schema, through a second application having the second schema extension, the second schema extension having a second set of additional objects, the second set of additional objects being defined by the second application; and

presenting views of and operations on the shared database that are extended by the respective schema extensions of the first and second applications.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the first schema extension is defined by metadata, and wherein receiving a purchased first schema extension comprises receiving changes to the metadata comprises receiving changes from the user to change a view of an object in the shared database for that user and wherein tracking the changes comprises tracking changes made by the user to the metadata through the first application.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein changing a view of an object of the shared database applies to that user with the first application based on the changed metadata.