Vendor/client information system architecture

• US 9,633,011 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
• Inventors: Wencel, Ronald, Boone, Richard, Melling, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US13/348,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A data network storing data relating to work done by vendors for clients is described. The network includes two or more servers, each server containing (1) an exhaustive vendor data base that contains client-independent vendor data for every vendor, and (2) one or more individual client databases, each containing client information for a single client. The exhaustive vendor data base is replicated between the servers, and the client information for each client is contained by one individual client data base on one server.

Claims

1. A vendor organization/client organization data network storing data relating to work done by vendor organizations among a plurality of vendor organizations for client organizations among a plurality of client organizations, wherein each vendor organization provides services to client organizations of the vendor organization, the network comprising:

a plurality of database servers, each database server of the plurality of database servers comprising;

a vendor organization database containing client organization-independent vendor organization data for each and every vendor organization of the plurality of vendor organizations, the vendor organization database being replicated between the plurality of database servers, so that each of the plurality of database servers stores a copy of the vendor organization database;

a plurality of individual client organization databases, each individual client organization database containing client organization information for a single client organization among the plurality of client organizations, client organization information for each client organization of the plurality of client organizations being contained by exactly one individual client organization database on exactly one database server of the plurality of database servers; and

a vendor user credentials database configured to store vendor user access information, wherein the vendor user access information is used to authenticate the vendor user; and

upon the vendor user being authenticated, permitting the vendor user to modify the vendor organization database wherein the modification to the vendor organization database is propagated to the copies of the vendor organization database stored on each of the plurality of database servers.

2. The data network of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of vendor organizations is a law firm.

3. The data network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the individual client organization databases contains both vendor organization-independent information and vendor organization-dependent information.

4. The data network of claim 1 wherein a first individual client organization database contains access control information for one or more client organization users, enabling the client organization users to logon to the database server containing the first individual client organization database.

5. The data network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the individual client organization databases contains information relating to a project being performed for the client organization whose client organization information is contained in the individual client organization database by a vendor organization.

6. The data network of claim 5 wherein the information relating to a project being performed for the client organization by a vendor organization comprises schedule information.

7. The data network of claim 5 wherein the information relating to a project being performed for the client organization by a vendor organization comprises projected cost information.

8. The data network of claim 5 wherein the information relating to a project being performed for the client organization by a vendor organization comprises projected outcome or result information.

9. The data network of claim 5 wherein the information relating to a project being performed for the client organization by a vendor organization comprises status information.

10. The data network of claim 5 wherein the information relating to a project being performed for the client organization by a vendor organization comprises billing information.

11. The data network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the individual client organization databases contains a reference to an entry in the vendor organization database containing vendor organization data for a vendor organization retained by the client organization whose client organization information is contained in the individual client organization database.

12. The data network of claim 1 wherein, for a first vendor organization, for each client organization who has engaged the first vendor organization, the individual client organization database containing the client organization'"'"'s client organization data includes a reference to an entry in the vendor organization database containing vendor organization data for the first vendor organization.

13. The data network of claim 1 wherein the vendor organization database is comprised of entries each containing vendor organization data for a different vendor organization among the plurality of vendor organizations, and wherein an entry for a first vendor organization contains access control information for one or more vendor organization users of the first vendor organization, enabling the vendor organization users to logon to any of the database servers.

14. The data network of claim 13 wherein the access control information includes vendor organization user credentials, and wherein the vendor organization database contains no more than a single set of user credentials for any user.

15. The data network of claim 1 wherein the vendor organization database is comprised of entries each containing vendor organization data for a different vendor organization among the plurality of vendor organizations, and wherein an entry for a first vendor organization contains a collection of action items, information alerts, or alerts of other activity or events each relating to client organizations among a plurality of client organizations that have engaged the first vendor organization.

16. The data network of claim 1 wherein one or more backup servers contain a backup copy of each of the individual client organization databases.

17. The data network of claim 16 wherein the backup servers are distinct from the database servers.

18. The data network of claim 16 wherein one or more of the database servers serve as the backup servers.

19. The data network of claim 16 wherein a first database server contains a single individual client organization database for a single client organization.

20. The data network of claim 1 wherein each database server of the plurality of database servers further comprises:

a client user credentials database configured to store client user access information, wherein the client user access information is used to authenticate the client user.

21. The data network of claim 20 wherein the user credentials database is replicated between the plurality of database servers, wherein a modification to the client user credentials database is propagated to the client user credentials database on each of the plurality of database servers.

22. The data network of claim 20 wherein the client user, upon not being authenticated, is restricted from accessing information and is directed to another one of the plurality of database servers.

23. One or more computer memories collectively containing a vendor organization/client organization data structure stored across a plurality of servers, comprising:

a vendor organization database containing vendor organization information, the vendor organization database being replicated on each of the plurality of servers so that each of the plurality of servers stores a copy of the vendor organization database;

a vendor user credentials database configured to store vendor user access information, wherein the stored vendor user access information is used to authenticate the vendor user;

upon the vendor user being authenticated, permitting the vendor user to modify the vendor organization database, wherein upon any of the plurality of the vendor organization database being modified, the modification to the vendor organization database is propagated to the copies of the vendor organization database stored on each of the plurality of servers; and

for each of a plurality of client organizations, a client organization database containing client organization information that is resident on a single one of the plurality of servers so that each client organization database is stored on only one of the plurality of servers.

24. The computer memories of claim 23 wherein a first client organization database contains access control information for one or more users associated with a first client organization, the access control information enabling the one or more users associated with the first client organization to logon to the server on which the first client organization database is resident.

25. The computer memories of claim 24 wherein the first client organization database contains information relating to at least one project being performed for the first client organization by a first vendor organization, wherein the information relating to the project being performed for the first client organization by the first vendor organization comprises schedule information for the project being performed for the first client organization by the first vendor organization and projected cost information for the project being performed for the first client organization by the first vendor organization.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for managing user sessions for a client organization/vendor organization application service provider, the method comprising:

when a logon request is received from a first user associated with a first client organization;

identifying a plurality of database servers,

selecting a first database server among the identified plurality of database servers to which the first client organization is assigned,

initiating a user session for the first user with the first database server, and

accessing data on the first user'"'"'s behalf from among client organization data for the first client organization stored on the first database server; and

when a logon request is received from a second user associated with a first vendor organization;

initiating a user session for the second user with a second database server randomly selected from the identified plurality of database servers,

invoking a vendor user credentials database configured to store vendor user access information, wherein the stored vendor user access information is used to authenticate the second user, and

upon the second user being authenticated, accessing data on the second user'"'"'s behalf from among vendor organization data for the first vendor organization stored on the second database server and permitting the second user to modify the data stored on the second database server, wherein the modification to the data stored on the second database server is propagated to each of the plurality of database servers.