Method, apparatus and computer program product for generating externally shared communication channels

• US 10,541,825 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jin, Brenda, Rose, Sean, Grant, Myles, Johnston, Elizabeth, King, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Azam M
• Application Number:
  US15/655,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20190026298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• 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 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and computer program product for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform are described herein. The group-based communication platform may have a plurality of database shards. A computer-implemented method may include receiving, from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification; generating, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard; transmitting, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request; receiving a shared communication channel acceptance notification; updating, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and transmitting a shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification;

generating, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmitting, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receiving a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

updating, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmitting, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

2. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

3. A computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

4. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmitting, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receiving a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

5. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

6. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receiving a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

7. A computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first client device and the second client device are each associated with an administrator status indicator.

8. An apparatus for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including program code, the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive, from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification;

generate, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmit, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receive a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

update, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmit, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

11. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

12. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

13. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

14. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first client device and the second client device are each associated with an administrator status indicator.

15. A computer program product for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:

receive, from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification;

generate, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmit, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receive a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

update, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmit, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

16. A computer program product of claim 15, wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

17. A computer program product of claim 16, wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

18. A computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

19. A computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

20. A computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.