System, method and computer program product for sharing tenant information utilizing a multi-tenant on-demand database service

• US 9,275,253 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuruganti, Aditya S., Doshi, Kedar, Bhatt, Chaitanya, Lai, Sanjaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US14/490,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20150006583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 707/781
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for sharing tenant information utilizing a multi-tenant on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for sharing tenant information utilizing a multi-tenant on-demand database service can allow automatic sharing of information owned by a first tenant with other tenants of the multi-tenant on-demand database service. In this way, collaboration among tenants of the multi-tenant on-demand database service may be enabled via the sharing of the tenant information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a database service from a first subscriber of the database service, an indication of permission to share a portion of first subscriber information with a second subscriber, the first subscriber information managed using the database service, wherein the second subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of first subscriber information absent the indication of permission;

permitting, through the database service, the second subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information based on the indication of permission, utilizing a processor;

receiving, at the database service, from the second subscriber another indication of permission to share a portion of information of the second subscriber with the first subscriber, wherein the first subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of the information of the second subscriber absent the other indication of permission; and

permitting, through the database service, the first subscriber to access the portion of the information of the second subscriber based on the other indication of permission, to provide reciprocity of sharing of subscriber information between the first subscriber and the second subscriber;

wherein the indication of permission is received from the first subscriber via a graphical user interface generated by the database service;

wherein the graphical user interface generated by the database service further provides an option to allow the first subscriber to subsequently block the second subscriber from accessing the portion of first subscriber information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the portion of the first subscriber information is provided utilizing a mark-up language.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber information includes at least one of tasks, accounts, contacts, products, opportunities, cases, and comments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber information includes at least two of tasks, accounts, contacts, products, opportunities, cases, and comments.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber information is stored in a database of the database service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber information includes a plurality of records.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein indicating permission to share a parent record automatically includes an indication of permission to share child records of the parent record.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting the second subscriber to access the portion of the first subscriber information includes permitting the second subscriber to view the portion of the first subscriber information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting the second subscriber to access the portion of the first subscriber information includes permitting the second subscriber to update the portion of the first subscriber information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the first subscriber a second indication of permission to share the portion of first subscriber information with a third subscriber.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising permitting the third subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information based on the second indication of permission.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein permitting the second subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information and permitting the third subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information are separate such that subsequently blocking one of the permission of the second subscriber and the permission of the third subscriber prevents an impact on the other one of the permission of the second subscriber and the permission of the third subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of the second subscriber is managed using the database service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the database service is accessible to the first subscriber and the second subscriber via a network.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving, at a database service from a first subscriber of the database service, an indication of permission to share a portion of first subscriber information with a second subscriber, the first subscriber information managed using the database service, wherein the second subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of first subscriber information absent the indication of permission;

permitting, through the database service, the second subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information based on the indication of permission, utilizing a processor;

receiving, at the database service, from the second subscriber another indication of permission to share a portion of information of the second subscriber with the first subscriber, wherein the first subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of the information of the second subscriber absent the other indication of permission; and

permitting, through the database service, the first subscriber to access the portion of the information of the second subscriber based on the other indication of permission, to provide reciprocity of sharing of subscriber information between the first subscriber and the second subscriber;

wherein the indication of permission is received from the first subscriber via a graphical user interface generated by the database service;

wherein, after receiving the indication of permission, the graphical user interface generated by the database service further provides an option to allow the first subscriber to subsequently block the second subscriber from accessing the portion of first subscriber information.

16. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to cause a computer to implement a method comprising:

receiving, at a database service from a first subscriber of the database service, an indication of permission to share a portion of first subscriber information with a second subscriber, the first subscriber information managed using the database service, wherein the second subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of first subscriber information absent the indication of permission;

permitting, through the database service, the second subscriber to access the portion of first subscriber information based on the indication of permission, utilizing a processor;

receiving, at the database service, from the second subscriber another indication of permission to share a portion of information of the second subscriber with the first subscriber, wherein the first subscriber is otherwise blocked from accessing the portion of the information of the second subscriber absent the other indication of permission; and

permitting, through the database service, the first subscriber to access the portion of the information of the second subscriber based on the other indication of permission, to provide reciprocity of sharing of subscriber information between the first subscriber and the second subscriber;

wherein the indication of permission is received from the first subscriber via a graphical user interface generated by the database service;

wherein, after receiving the indication of permission, the graphical user interface generated by the database service further provides an option to allow the first subscriber to subsequently block the second subscriber from accessing the portion of first subscriber information.