System, method and computer program product for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system

• US 9,195,850 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hess, Ronald Vance
• Primary Examiner(s): Burke, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/197,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/781, 707/10, 707/1/1, 707/655
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. These mechanisms and methods for sharing a single instance of a database stored using a tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system can provide a single instance of a database that is shared amongst tenants of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. The ability to provide a single instance of a database that is shared amongst tenants of a multi-tenant on-demand database system can enable the database to be managed or otherwise maintained in a central location.

Claims

1. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including computer code adapted to be executed by a computer to perform a method comprising:

storing a database used by a first tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system by storing the database in a location in memory of the multi-tenant on-demand database system that is dedicated to only the first tenant; and

allowing at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to access the database, such that;

the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system is allowed to perform one or more queries on the database for retrieving data stored in the database,

the first tenant is able to alter data stored in the database, and

the at least one second tenant is prevented from altering the data stored in the database.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the database is published by the first tenant for use by the at least one second tenant.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the database includes at least one table.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the database stores reference data that is un-editable by the at least one second tenant.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the access includes read-only access.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the access is provided to the at least one second tenant in response to a determination that the at least one second tenant is authorized to access the database.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer program product is operable such that it is determined that the at least one second tenant is authorized to access the database by determining that an internet protocol (IP) address utilized by the at least one second tenant is predetermined to be allowed to access the database.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising receiving a query from the at least second tenant.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the query includes a string entered by a user associated with the at least one second tenant.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the string includes data to be looked up in the database.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the query further includes data automatically generated by an interface utilized by the user to enter the string.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the data includes an identifier of the first tenant, an identifier of the database, and a data service to be utilized to look up the string in the table.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising parsing the query.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising performing the query based on the parsing.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising returning results of the query to the at least one second tenant.

16. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the multi-tenant on-demand database system stores tenant-specific data for each of the first tenant and the at least one second tenant, and wherein the tenant-specific data of the first tenant including the database is stored by the multi-tenant on-demand database system logically separate from the tenant-specific data of the at least one second tenant, such that:

access by the first tenant to the tenant-specific data of the at least one second tenant is prevented unless the tenant-specific data of the at least one second tenant is expressly shared, and

access by the at least one second tenant to the tenant-specific data of the first tenant including the database is only allowed by virtue of the tenant-specific data of the first tenant including the database being expressly shared.

17. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more queries on the database performed by the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system include:

an identification of the first tenant;

an identification of a data service used to perform the query;

a data table within the database to access to perform the query; and

a data string to look up within the database.

18. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein allowing the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to access the database is responsive to the at least one second tenant subscribing to the database via a registration of the at least one second tenant to the database.

19. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein allowing the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to perform one or more queries on the database for retrieving data stored in the database includes:

receiving from the at least one second tenant a string including data to be looked up and a selection of the database in which the data is to be looked up,

automatically generating a query that includes an identifier of the first tenant, an identifier of the selected database, an identifier of a table in the selected database, and a data service associated with the selected database to be utilized to look up the string entered by the at least one second tenant in the table of the selected database, and

performing the generated query.

20. A method, comprising:

storing a database used by a first tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system by storing the database in a location in memory of the multi-tenant on-demand database system that is dedicated to only the first tenant; and

allowing at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to access the database, such that;

the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system is allowed to perform one or more queries on the database for retrieving data stored in the database,

the first tenant is able to alter data stored in the database, and

the at least one second tenant is prevented from altering the data stored in the database.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a hardware processor for;

storing a database used by a first tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system by storing the database in a location in memory of the multi-tenant on-demand database system that is dedicated to only the first tenant; and

allowing at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to access the database, such that;

the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system is allowed to perform one or more queries on the database for retrieving data stored in the database,

the first tenant is able to alter data stored in the database, and

the at least one second tenant is prevented from altering the data stored in the database.

22. A method for transmitting code, comprising:

transmitting code to store a database used by a first tenant of a multi-tenant on-demand database system by storing the database in a location in memory of the multi-tenant on-demand database system that is dedicated to only the first tenant; and

transmitting code for allowing at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system to access the database, such that;

the at least one second tenant of the multi-tenant on-demand database system is allowed to perform one or more queries on the database for retrieving data stored in the database,

the first tenant is able to alter data stored in the database, and

the at least one second tenant is prevented from altering the data stored in the database.