On-demand database service system, method and computer program product for conditionally allowing an application of an entity access to data of another entity

• US 9,697,377 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Horne, Nate, Dapkus, Peter J., Viripaeff, Alexis, Mehra, Vinod, Warshavsky, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackes, Kris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Tiffany
• Application Number:
  US15/047,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 707781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for conditionally allowing an application of an entity access to data of another entity in an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for conditionally allowing an application of an entity access to data of another entity in an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to limit such access to the data, as desired. Furthermore, embodiments of such mechanisms and methods may provide additional security when sharing data among different subscribers to an on-demand database service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to determining that first entity that is a user of a database service is authorized to obtain a package that includes an application of a second entity, a computer system installing the package;

extracting, by the computer system, one or more profiles from the package, wherein a first profile of the one or more profiles specifies a plurality of limitations on the application'"'"'s access to data of the first entity within the database service, including actions that may be performed on the data by the application;

responsive to an acceptance of the plurality of limitations of the first profile by the first entity, the computer system permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the plurality of limitations of the first profile;

receiving, at the computer system, an upgrade to the package, wherein the upgrade pertains to the application and includes a modification to the first profile that includes a different set of limitations indicating an updated level of access to data of the first entity, including removal of a subset of the plurality of limitations; and

responsive to an acceptance of the upgrade, the computer system permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the modified first profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to the installing the package, the computer system authenticates the first entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes one or more of the following actions:

create, read, update, delete.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more profiles are defined either at package level or at component level within the package.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more profiles determine what objects may be accessed by the application.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:

responsive to determining that a first entity is authorized to obtain a package that includes an application of a second entity, installing the package, wherein the first entity is a user of a database service, wherein the package further includes one or more profiles, wherein a first profile of the one or more profiles specifies a plurality of limitations on the application'"'"'s access to data of the first entity within the database service, including actions that may be performed on the data by the application;

extracting the one or more profiles from the package;

responsive to an acceptance of the plurality of limitations of the first profile by the first entity, permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the plurality of limitations of the first profile;

receiving an upgrade to the package, wherein the upgrade pertains to the application and includes a modification to the first profile that includes a different set of limitations indicating an updated level of access to data of the first entity, including removal of a subset of the plurality of limitations; and

responsive to an acceptance of the upgrade, permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the modified first profile.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

authenticating the first entity prior to installing the package, wherein the authenticating is based on authentication information provided by the first entity.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of limitations indicate a set of objects the first entity may access.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of limitations are presented to the first entity for acceptance via a graphical user interface.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of limitations indicate how the first entity may utilize one or more object types.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the package is stored at a database of the database service such that the package is available to users of the database service.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:

submitting authentication information of a first entity to a database service;

in response to submitting the authentication information, receiving a package that includes an application of a second entity and one or more profiles;

installing the package on the computing device;

extracting the one or more profiles from the package, wherein a first profile of the one or more profiles specifies a plurality of limitations on the application'"'"'s access to data of the first entity within the database service, including actions that may be performed on the data by the application;

responsive to an acceptance of the plurality of limitations of the first profile by the first entity, permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the plurality of limitations of the first profile;

receiving an upgrade to the package, wherein the upgrade pertains to the application and includes a modification to the first profile that includes a different set of limitations indicating an updated level of access to data of the first entity, including removal of a subset of the plurality of limitations; and

responsive to an acceptance of the upgrade, permitting the application to access data of the first entity within the database service according to the modified first profile.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the authentication information includes a user name and a password associated with the first entity.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of limitations on the application'"'"'s access to data indicate a set of objects the first entity may access.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of limitations on the application'"'"'s access to data further indicate with respect to each object in the set of objects whether the first entity may perform one or more of the following actions with respect to the respective object:

create, read, update, and delete.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of limitations of the first profile are presented to the first entity via a user interface and wherein an indication that the first entity has accepted the plurality of limitations of the first profile is received via the user interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise performing an action on the data of the first entity in compliance with the plurality of limitations of the first profile.