Methods and systems for tracking work in a multi-tenant database environment

• US 8,694,558 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hatton, James, Mastrogiovanni, Analia, Williams, Alexis
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US12/946,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 717/100, 717/168
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 Trees

Abstract

A system and method for tracking work in a database environment. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a plurality of work records, where each work record is associated with code that is submitted for integration into a software application. The method further includes receiving a first indication that designates a first work record of the plurality of work records as a parent work record, and receiving a second indication that designates a second work record of the plurality of work records as a child work record, where the second work record is a child of the first work record.

Claims

1. A method for tracking work in a database environment, the method comprising:

providing, by an on-demand database services system, a software application implemented on a cloud platform of the on-demand database services system to different users accessing the on-demand database services system via different user systems via a network;

generating, by the on-demand database services system, a plurality of work records in data storage of the on-demand database services system, wherein each work record has a unique identification label and is associated with code for new functionality or a bug fix that is written by a respective user of the different users and submitted via a respective user system of the different user systems for integration into the software application to provide one or more changes to the software application implemented on the cloud platform of the on-demand database services system;

receiving, by the on-demand database services system, a first indication from a first user of the different users that designates a first work record of the plurality of work records as a parent work record; and

receiving, by the on-demand database services system, a second indication from the first user that designates a second work record of the plurality of work records as a child work record, wherein the second work record is a child of the first work record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a parent-child relationship between the first work record and the second work record.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a parent work records section and a child work records section, wherein at least the first work record is listed in the parent work records section after the first work record is designated as a parent work record, and wherein at least the second work record is listed in the child work records section after the second work record is designated as a child work record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of work records comprises generating, by the on-demand database services system, the unique identification label for each work record of the plurality of work records.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication of the state of a given work record of the plurality of work records.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing, by the on-demand database services system, circular dependencies among the plurality of work records.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user comprises a person assigned to the code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is input by the first user via a first user system of the different user systems.

9. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions thereon for tracking work in a database environment, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

provide a software application implemented on a cloud platform to different users accessing the cloud platform via different user systems via a network;

generate a plurality of work records in data storage, wherein each work record has a unique identification label and is associated with code for new functionality or a bug fix that is written by a respective user of the different users and submitted via a respective user system of the different user systems for integration into the software application to provide one or more changes to the software application implemented on the cloud platform;

receive a first indication from a first user of the different users that designates a first work record of the plurality of work records as a parent work record; and

receive a second indication from the first user that designates a second work record of the plurality of work records as a child work record, wherein the second work record is a child of the first work record.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first work record and the second work record are different work record types.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first work record is associated with a user story or a bug fix.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second work record is associated with a user story or a bug fix.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to display a parent-child relationship between the first work record and the second work record.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to display a parent work records section and a child work records section, wherein at least the first work record is listed in the parent work records section after the first work record is designated as a parent work record, and wherein at least the second work record is listed in the child work records section after the second work record is designated as a child work record.

15. An apparatus for tracking work in a database environment, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device storing one or more stored sequences of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

provide a software application implemented on a cloud platform to different users accessing the cloud platform via different user systems via a network;

generate a plurality of work records in data storage, wherein each work record has a unique identification label and is associated with code for new functionality or a bug fix that is written by a respective user of the different users and submitted via a respective user system of the different user systems for integration into the software application to provide one or more changes to the software application implemented on the cloud platform;

receive a first indication from a first user of the different users that designates a first work record of the plurality of work records as a parent work record; and

receive a second indication from the first user that designates a second work record of the plurality of work records as a child work record, wherein the second work record is a child of the first work record.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first work record and the second work record are different work record types.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first work record is associated with a user story or a bug fix.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second work record is associated with a user story or a bug fix.