Multi-tenant agile database connector

• US 9,495,372 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corent Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Corent Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Venkataraman, S., Oliver, Michael, Prabu P, Jeya Anantha, Syed, Shafiullah, Chate, R. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Torgrimson, Tyler
• Application Number:
  US13/693,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application

Abstract

A module provides an interface between a multi-tenant database and a non-tenant-specific application instance such that the application instance sends data access commands to the module as if it is communicating with a single-tenant database. The module translates the non-tenant-specific data access command from the non-tenant-aware application into a multi-tenant data access command, as needed, without needing to alter the non-tenant specific application instance in any way. In this manner, a single-tenant application could be used by multiple tenants in a multi-tenant environment.

Claims

1. A computer processor implemented system that facilitates concurrent, multi-session use of a non-tenant aware application by first and second tenants to access at least a first non-tenant aware data repository, utilizing unique tenant identifiers obtained from a tenant-aware non-application source, without requiring modification of the non-tenant aware application or the first non-tenant aware data repository, comprising:

an agile database connector configured to infer unique tenant identifiers from the tenant-aware non-application source, where the agile database connector has;

a translator logically disposed between (a) the first non-tenant aware data repository and (b) the application, and configured to translate at least first and second non-tenant specific data access commands received from the application into first and second tenant-specific data access commands, respectively, using the inferred unique tenant identifiers; and

a handler separate from the non-application source, the handler logically disposed between (a) the first non-tenant aware data repository and (b) the application, and configured to pass the first and second tenant-specific data access commands to the first data repository, respectively;

wherein first and second tenant-specific outputs from the first non-tenant aware data repository are forwarded to the application without passing back through the translator and handler, and

wherein the tenant-aware non-application source is external to the non-tenant aware application and the non-tenant aware data repository.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the translator is further configured to receive from a source other than the application a unique identifier associated with the first tenant, and to use the unique identifier in preparing the tenant-specific data access commands for a session of the application operated by first user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the translator is configured to authorize which of the non-tenant specific data access commands are translated to the tenant-specific data access commands.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the handler is further configured to concurrently accommodate, in a tenant-aware fashion, first and second sessions of the application by the first tenant, and first and second sessions of the application by the second tenant.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second non-tenant aware data repository.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the translator translated third and fourth non-tenant specific data access commands received from the application into third and fourth tenant-specific data access commands.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the handler passes both the third and fourth tenant-specific data access commands to a third non-tenant aware database, and forwards third and fourth tenant-specific outputs from the third data repository to the first and second tenants, respectively.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second tenant-specific data access commands comprise a first encryption key and a second encryption key, respectively.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a database module, wherein the database module is configured to decrypt the first and second tenant-specific outputs from the first data repository with the first and second encryption keys, respectively.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the handler analyzes the non-tenant-specific data access command sent from the application, and authorizes whether the non-tenant-specific data access command needs to be translated into a tenant-specific data access command.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the handler is configured to utilize an LDAP server having a tenant log-in module as the non-application source, which is invoked prior to the first tenant gaining access to the non-tenant aware application, or a table within the first data repository.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is a non-tenant aware application.