U.S. patent application number 16/241355 was filed with the patent office on 2019-07-11 for method and system for allowing access to developed applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database service.
The applicant listed for this patent is salesforce.com, inc.. Invention is credited to Craig Weissman.
Application Number | 20190213345 16/241355 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39275776 |
Filed Date | 2019-07-11 |
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00005.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00006.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00007.png)
![](/patent/app/20190213345/US20190213345A1-20190711-D00008.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20190213345 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Weissman; Craig |
July 11, 2019 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ALLOWING ACCESS TO DEVELOPED APPLICATIONS VIA
A MULTI-TENANT ON-DEMAND DATABASE SERVICE
Abstract
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms
and methods for allowing access to developed applications via a
multi-tenant on-demand database service, in a controlled
environment. These mechanisms and methods for providing such access
can enable embodiments to provide additional control over the
development process as well as the access of such developed
applications. The ability of embodiments to provide such additional
control may lead to an improved application development framework,
etc.
Inventors: |
Weissman; Craig; (San
Francisco, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
salesforce.com, inc. |
San Francisco |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
39275776 |
Appl. No.: |
16/241355 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15134076 |
Apr 20, 2016 |
10176337 |
|
|
16241355 |
|
|
|
|
13865896 |
Apr 18, 2013 |
9323804 |
|
|
15134076 |
|
|
|
|
12763078 |
Apr 19, 2010 |
9171034 |
|
|
13865896 |
|
|
|
|
11859498 |
Sep 21, 2007 |
7730478 |
|
|
12763078 |
|
|
|
|
60828757 |
Oct 9, 2006 |
|
|
|
60828192 |
Oct 4, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 11/3604 20130101;
G06F 21/6227 20130101; G06F 8/30 20130101; G06F 16/2365 20190101;
G06F 8/60 20130101; G06F 11/3664 20130101; G06F 16/24 20190101;
G06F 21/6218 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/62 20060101
G06F021/62; G06F 16/24 20060101 G06F016/24; G06F 11/36 20060101
G06F011/36; G06F 8/60 20060101 G06F008/60; G06F 8/30 20060101
G06F008/30; G06F 16/23 20060101 G06F016/23 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method, comprising: maintaining, by a computer system, access
information that identifies, for a database system, first and
second levels of access for a set of applications developed by a
plurality of developers, wherein the second level provides access
to the database system, but that access is more limited than access
provided by the first level; subsequent to a determination that a
first one of the set of applications satisfies a set of quality
rules, the computer system granting, to the first application, the
first level of access to the database system; and subsequent to a
determination that a second one of the set of applications does not
satisfy one or more of the set of quality rules, the computer
system: granting, to the second application, the second level of
access to the database system; and providing information to a
corresponding developer of the second application that indicates
noncompliance with the set of quality rules.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first level of access
permits a given one of the set of applications to issue, within a
defined interval of time, a greater number of requests to the
database system than permitted by the second level of access.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first level of access
permits a given one of the set of applications to modify, within a
defined interval of time, a greater number of database rows managed
by the database system than permitted by the second level of
access.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first level of access
permits a given one of the set of applications to request a greater
number of rows be returned for a query issued to the database
system than permitted by the second level of access.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first level of access
permits a given one of the set of applications to utilize a
particular set of functionality implemented by the database system,
and wherein the second level of access precludes the given
application from utilizing the particular set of functionality.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein the second application does not
satisfy the one or more quality rules based on the second
application failing one or more functional tests.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein the second application does not
satisfy the one or more quality rules based on a particular portion
of the second application being inoperable.
28. The method of claim 21, further comprising: subsequent to a
determination that the second application satisfies the set of
quality rules, the computer system granting, to the second
application, the first level of access to the database system.
29. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program
instructions stored thereon that are capable of causing a computer
system to perform operations comprising: maintaining access
information identifying first and second levels of access to a
database for a set of applications that are developed by a
plurality of developers, wherein the second level provides access
to the database, but that access is more limited than access
provided by the first level; based on a determination that a first
one of the set of applications satisfies a set of quality rules,
granting, to the first application, the first level of access to
the database; and based on a determination that a second one of the
set of applications does not satisfy one or more of the set of
quality rules: granting, to the second application, the second
level of access to the database; and providing information to a
corresponding developer of the second application that indicates
noncompliance with the set of quality rules.
30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further
comprise: based on the first and second levels of access,
permitting the first application to issue, within a timeframe, a
greater number of queries to the database than the second
application.
31. The medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further
comprise: based on the first and second levels of access,
permitting the first application to request a greater amount of
data be returned for a query issued to the database than the second
application.
32. The medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further
comprise: based on the first and second levels of access,
permitting the first application to request, within a timeframe, a
greater number of modifications to data maintained in the database
than the second application.
33. The medium of claim 29, wherein the operations further
comprise: based on the first and second levels of access,
provisioning more bandwidth to the first application than to the
second application.
34. The medium of claim 29, wherein a particular one of the one or
more quality rules requires that a given application pass a set of
functional tests, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining that the second application does not satisfy the
particular quality rule based on the second application failing to
pass at least one of the set of functional tests.
35. A method, comprising: maintaining, by a computer system, access
information defining first and second levels of access to a
database, wherein the first and second levels are grantable to
applications that interact with the database, and wherein the
second level provides access to the database, but that access is
more limited than access provided by the first level; based on a
determination that a first application complies with a set of
quality rules, the computer system granting, to the first
application, the first level of access to the database; and based
on a determination that a second application does not comply with
at least one of the set of quality rules, the computer system:
granting, to the second application, the second level of access to
the database; and providing information to a corresponding
developer of the second application that indicates noncompliance
with the set of quality rules.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the first application is
permitted, based on the first level of access, to have, within a
timeframe, more requests processed by the computer system than the
second application is permitted based on the second level of
access.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein the first application is
permitted, based on the first level of access, to modify, within a
timeframe, more data items stored in the database than the second
application is permitted based on the second level of access.
38. The method of claim 35, further comprising: provisioning, by
the computer system, more processing resources for the first
application than for the second application based on the first and
second levels of access.
39. The method of claim 35, wherein a particular one of the set of
quality rules requires that a given application pass one or more
functional tests.
40. The method of claim 35, wherein the first and second
applications are accessible, via the computer system, by a
plurality of users associated with the computer system.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/763,078, filed Apr. 19, 2010, which is continuation of U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/859,498, filed Sep. 21, 2007, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/828,757, filed
Oct. 9, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/828,192,
filed Oct. 4, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the
Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The current invention relates generally to developer
frameworks, and more particularly to developing applications in an
improved manner.
BACKGROUND
[0004] The subject matter discussed in the background section
should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its
mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned
in the background section or associated with the subject matter of
the background section should not be assumed to have been
previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the
background section merely represents different approaches, which in
and of themselves may also be inventions.
[0005] In conventional database systems, users access their data
resources in one logical database. A user of such a conventional
system typically retrieves data from and stores data on the system
using the user's own systems. A user system might remotely access
one of a plurality of server systems that might in turn access the
database system. Data retrieval from the system might include the
issuance of a query from the user system to the database system.
The database system might process the request for information
received in the query and send to the user system information
relevant to the request.
[0006] There is often a desire to develop various applications for
extending capabilities of the aforementioned database systems. To
date, however, such applications have typically been developed in
an uncontrolled environment. For example, developers conventionally
dictate the development of such applications, leaving the database
system service with less control. This, in turn, may lead to
various shortcomings in the development process, etc. For instance,
various development best practices (e.g. with respect to testing,
resource allocation, etc.) may not necessarily be enforced, since
they are under the control of the developer.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] In accordance with embodiments, there are provided
mechanisms and methods for allowing access to developed
applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database service, in a
controlled environment. These mechanisms and methods for providing
such access can enable embodiments to provide additional control
over the development process as well as the access of such
developed applications. The ability of embodiments to provide such
additional control may lead to an improved application
development/runtime framework, etc.
[0008] In an embodiment and by way of example, a method is provided
for allowing access to developed applications via a multi-tenant
on-demand database service, in a controlled environment. In use,
developed applications are received at a multi-tenant on-demand
database service. Access to the applications is provided to tenants
of the on-demand database service. Such applications are under the
control of the on-demand database service.
[0009] While the present invention is described with reference to
an embodiment in which techniques for allowing access to developed
applications are implemented in an application server providing a
front end for a multi-tenant database on-demand service, the
present invention is not limited to multi-tenant databases or
deployment on application servers. Embodiments may be practiced
using other database architectures, i.e., ORACLE.RTM., DB2.RTM. and
the like without departing from the scope of the embodiments
claimed.
[0010] Any of the above embodiments may be used alone or together
with one another in any combination. Inventions encompassed within
this specification may also include embodiments that are only
partially mentioned or alluded to or are not mentioned or alluded
to at all in this brief summary or in the abstract. Although
various embodiments of the invention may have been motivated by
various deficiencies with the prior art, which may be discussed or
alluded to in one or more places in the specification, the
embodiments of the invention do not necessarily address any of
these deficiencies. In other words, different embodiments of the
invention may address different deficiencies that may be discussed
in the specification. Some embodiments may only partially address
some deficiencies or just one deficiency that may be discussed in
the specification, and some embodiments may not address any of
these deficiencies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1A illustrates a system for allowing access to
developed applications via an on-demand database service, in
accordance with one embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 1B shows a method for testing developed applications
utilizing an on-demand database service.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a method for extending an interface that
executes with an on-demand database service.
[0014] FIG. 3 shows a system for allowing access to developed
applications via an on-demand database service, in accordance with
another embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows a method for receiving and processing script
from a developer, in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 5 shows a method for receiving and processing requests
from an end user, in accordance with still yet another
embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example of an
environment wherein an on-demand database service might be
used.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of
elements of FIG. 6 and various possible interconnections between
these elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
General Overview
[0019] Systems and methods are provided for allowing access to
developed applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database
service, in a controlled environment. Further, systems and methods
are provided for extending an interface that executes with the
on-demand database service.
[0020] In the development of applications for use with database
systems, many challenges exist that result from the fact that the
control of such application development rests with the developer.
For example, various development best practices (e.g. with respect
to testing, resource allocation, etc.) are not necessarily
enforced, since they are under the control of the developer. Thus,
mechanisms and methods are provided herein for allowing access to
developed applications via a multi-tenant on-demand database
service, in a controlled environment. The ability of embodiments to
provide such additional control may lead to an improved
development/runtime framework, etc. For example, by administering
control over the development process, etc., embodiments are enabled
whereby interfaces (e.g. API's, etc.) may be extended in a more
affective manner.
[0021] Next, mechanisms and methods will be described for allowing
access to developed applications in a controlled environment, as
well as extending an interface that executes with an on-demand
database service.
[0022] FIG. 1A illustrates a system 100 for allowing access to
developed applications via an on-demand database service 102, in
accordance with one embodiment. In the context of the present
description, an on-demand database service may include any service
that relies on a database system that is accessible over a
network.
[0023] In one embodiment, the on-demand database service 102 may
include a multi-tenant on-demand database service. In the present
description, such multi-tenant on-demand database service may
include any service that relies on a database system that is
accessible over a network, in which various elements of hardware
and software of the database system may be shared by one or more
customers. For instance, a given application server may
simultaneously process requests for a great number of customers,
and a given database table may store rows for a potentially much
greater number of customers. Various examples of such a
multi-tenant on-demand database service will be set forth in the
context of different embodiments that will be described during
reference to subsequent figures.
[0024] As shown, the on-demand database service 102 communicates
with a plurality of developers 104. In use, the on-demand database
service 102 is adapted to receive developed applications from the
developers 104. In the context of the present description, the
developers 104 may include any one or more persons or entities
(e.g. corporation, organization, etc.) that develop computer code.
Further, the applications may include any computer code (e.g. a
complete program, a partial program, a code segment, etc.).
[0025] In addition, the on-demand database service 102 communicates
with one or more tenants 106 of the on-demand database service 102.
In the aforementioned embodiment where the on-demand database
service 102 includes a multi-tenant on-demand database service, a
plurality of the tenants 106 may exist. In any case, a tenant
refers to any one or more persons or entities that are capable of
accessing the on-demand database service 102, in the present
description. For example, the tenant(s) 106 may subscribe to the
on-demand database service 102.
[0026] By this design, the on-demand database service 102 serves to
provide access to the applications to the tenant(s) 106 of the
on-demand database service 102. In use, the aforementioned
applications are under the control of the on-demand database
service 102. By administering such control, an improved
development/runtime framework, etc. is thereby provided.
[0027] In various embodiments, such control may be administered in
any desired manner. For example, the on-demand database service 102
may enforce any desired policies by precluding access to
applications by the tenant(s) 106, in situations where the
applications do not adhere to the policies. In other embodiments,
the on-demand database service 102 may enforce such policies by
precluding or limiting functionality accessible to the developers
104, in such non-compliant scenario. For example, publication of an
application to the on-demand database service 102 may be disallowed
in the absence of meeting certain requirements. In one specific
embodiment, the on-demand database service 102 may monitor and
limit various aspects of the applications and terminate related
code, based on a dynamic contextual limiter. Of course, the
foregoing control may be implemented in any desired manner.
[0028] In one embodiment, the aforementioned control may take the
form of limiting at least one aspect of the applications by the
on-demand database service 102. For instance, such aspect may
relate to processing, storage, bandwidth, etc. resources made
available to the applications of the developers 104. By this
design, the on-demand database service 102 may be able constrain
the developers in a way that optimizes the ability of the on-demand
database service 102 to service the tenant(s) 106 via the
applications.
[0029] In various embodiments, such resources-related aspect may
involve a database associated with the on-demand database service
102, a manner in which such database may be accessed utilizing the
applications, etc. In such embodiments, the foregoing aspect may
include, but is not limited to a number of columns of a database, a
number of queries to a database in a predetermined timeframe, a
number of rows returned by queries, a number of database statements
(e.g. modification statements, etc.), a number of script statements
between database statements, a number of rows processed (e.g.
modified, etc.) in a predetermined timeframe, a number of
transaction statements, a total number of uncommitted rows since a
last transaction control statement, a total number of script
statements since a last database call, a duration of processing,
etc.
[0030] Of course, such exemplary list is not to be construed as
limiting. For example, any aspect of the on-demand database service
102 (e.g. electronic mail management, etc.) may also be limited as
well. In one specific instance, a number of e-mails one can send
per request and/or a number of outbound web service calls made per
request, may be limited. In various embodiments, limits may be
applied to an application on a per-request basis or on a
per-time-period (e.g. per day) basis. In the latter embodiment,
such limitation may apply on a per-user or per-tenant basis.
[0031] In other embodiments, a development of the applications may
be controlled. For example, the applications are controlled by
imposing requirements of the on-demand database service 102 that
the applications be tested (e.g. validated, etc.). Such testing
may, in one embodiment, be natively run in an automated manner, by
way of a call made to an application program interface associated
with the on-demand database service 102.
[0032] In other aspects of the present embodiment involving
development controls, the on-demand database service 102 may
require that functional tests be written for applications and
further require a predetermined percentage of code coverage. In
this embodiment, such technique may allow one to run such tests
whenever the on-demand database service 102 is modified, to reduce
the risk of accidentally breaking working applications. By this
design, regression and/or any other negative traits may be avoided.
More information regarding one possible embodiment involving such
controlled testing will be set forth in greater detail during
reference to FIG. 1B.
[0033] In still additional embodiments, access to the applications
by the tenant(s) 106 of the on-demand database service 102 may be
controlled. For instance, a single instance of each application may
be instantiated among a plurality of the tenant(s) 106 of the
on-demand database service 102. Thus, only a single copy of the
application need be stored by the on-demand database service 102,
and simultaneously shared amongst the tenant(s) 106 in the
foregoing manner.
[0034] It should be that the forgoing control may be static or
dynamic, may or may not be uniformly applied, etc. For example, the
foregoing aspects and related control criteria may or may not be
different for different applications, tenants 106, etc. Just by way
of example, the on-demand database service 102 may allow for more
resources when running an upgrade script, with respect to when
running a per-row database trigger, etc. Further, the on-demand
database service 102 may allow for more resources for large tenants
106, etc.
[0035] FIG. 1B shows a method 150 for testing developed
applications utilizing an on-demand database service. As an option,
the present method 150 may be implemented in the context of the
on-demand database service 102 of FIG. 1A. Of course, however, the
method 150 may be carried out in any desired environment. The
aforementioned definitions may apply during the present
description.
[0036] As shown, developed applications are received at an
on-demand database service. See operation 152. In various
embodiments, the on-demand database service may or may not include
a multi-tenant on-demand database service.
[0037] Further, the developed applications may be received in whole
or in part. For example, in one embodiment, an application may be
developed utilizing a separate system and may be subsequently
uploaded to the on-demand database service. In other embodiments,
code segments of the application may be received at the on-demand
database service as the application is being developed. Of course,
hybrid systems are further contemplated which employ both of the
foregoing frameworks. Still yet, the aforementioned receipt of
developed applications may or may not occur over a network.
[0038] With continuing reference to FIG. 1B, the applications may
be tested utilizing the on-demand database service. See operation
154. In the context of the present description, such testing may
relate to any process for assessing at least one aspect of the
applications. For example, such aspect may include, but is not
limited to operability, quality, efficiency (e.g. with respect to
resource requirements, etc.), etc. In various different
embodiments, the testing may be for debugging purposes, identifying
unwanted deadlock situations, enforcing database semantics, and/or
any desired rules, for that matter.
[0039] In a particular embodiment, the foregoing testing may
involve a unit test. Such unit test may verify whether a particular
piece of code of an application is working properly. As an option,
the unit test may take no arguments, commit no data to a database,
etc. In other embodiments, tests may be employed which cover as
many lines of code as possible, and, in the case of conditional
logic (including ternary operators), execute each branch of code
logic. Further, the tests may be designed to complete successfully
without throwing any exceptions, unless those errors are expected
and caught. Still yet, tests may be configured to liberally make
use of "System.assert( )" methods to prove that code behaves
properly, exercise bulk trigger functionality, etc.
[0040] In one embodiment, the testing may be controlled by the
on-demand database service. For example, all testing may be under
the control of the on-demand database service. In other
embodiments, only some of the testing may be under the control of
the on-demand database service. In such embodiment, a first subset
of the testing may be controlled by developers of the applications,
and a second subset of the testing may be controlled by the
on-demand database service.
[0041] Further, the testing may occur at any desired time. For
instance, the testing may be periodic, on-demand, triggered by an
event or milestone, etc. In one example, the testing may occur
automatically across all relevant applications upon at least one
aspect (e.g. code, feature, etc.) of the on-demand database service
being added, upgraded, etc. To this end, continued operation of the
applications on the on-demand database service is ensured.
[0042] In another embodiment, the testing may be required by the
on-demand database service. Such requirement may be enforced in any
desired manner (e.g. see, again, the aforementioned exemplary
enforcement techniques, etc.). As an option, it may be determined
whether at least one of the applications has passed the testing. To
this end, access to such application(s) may be conditionally
provided, based on the determination. For example, access may be
provided to the application(s), if it is determined that the
application(s) has passed the testing. Further, such access to the
application(s) may be precluded, if it is determined that the
application(s) has not passed the testing. As an option, a report
may be provided to indicate an extent and/or manner in which the
testing was passed or failed, so that appropriate action may be
taken by the application developer.
[0043] A definition of requirements for such pass may be configured
in any desired manner. For example, such pass criteria may be
defined by the on-demand database service. Further, the criteria
may involve any desired parameters, thresholds, etc. To this end, a
managed code environment is provided that requires application
developers to give up some control over the development process, in
exchange for the benefit of standardized improvements in
applications available via the on-demand database service.
[0044] FIG. 2 shows a method 200 for extending an interface that
executes with an on-demand database service. As an option, the
present method 200 may be implemented in the context of the
on-demand database service 102 of FIG. 1A. In various embodiments,
the on-demand database service may or may not include a
multi-tenant on-demand database service. Of course, however, the
method 200 may be carried out in any desired environment. The
aforementioned definitions may apply during the present
description.
[0045] As shown, at least one programming language instruction is
received at a platform on which applications can be built. See
operation 202. The receipt of such instruction may be accomplished
in any desired manner. For example, the at least one programming
language instruction may or may not be received at an API
associated with the platform.
[0046] In various embodiments, such platform may or may not be part
of the on-demand database service 102 of FIG. 1, and may be adapted
for sharing applications. It should be noted, however, the platform
may include any hardware and/or software that is capable of
allowing applications to be built. Of course, such applications may
or may not be built by third parties (e.g. parties other than that
associated with the platform, etc.).
[0047] In the context of the present description, the foregoing
applications may include any desired software, and such application
may be built in any desired manner. For example, in various
embodiments, such "building" may range from providing a forum to
manage the entire or a portion of the development process, to
simply making a pre-existing application accessible for use, etc.
Still yet, in the present description, the aforementioned
programming language instruction may include any piece of code
recognizable by the platform.
[0048] With continuing reference to FIG. 2, a set of instructions
to an on-demand database service may be prepared, based on the at
least one programming language instruction. See operation 204. In
the context of the present description, the set of instructions may
include any code that is recognizable by the on-demand database
service.
[0049] In other embodiments where the on-demand database service
has the ability to call out to other external systems, the set of
instructions may refer to instructions to another system via the
on-demand database service. More information regarding such call
out feature may be found with reference to U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/778,587 entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A
CLIENT ACCESS TO AN EXTERNAL SERVICE VIA AN APPLICATION SERVICES
PLATFORM." by Manoj Cheenath et al., filed Jul. 16, 2007 (Attorney
Docket No. SFC1P004_035), the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference. Further, the aforementioned
controls may be applied to any call out request to such external
systems. For example, such call out request may be given a lower
priority (e.g. disallowed during a low level database operations
involving locks, etc.).
[0050] In one embodiment involving a multi-tenant on-demand
database service, the set of instructions may be configured to be
applied to all tenants. In another embodiment, the set of
instructions may be tenant-specific. In other words, the set of
instructions may be prepared to query for information related to a
single tenant (or subset of tenants) selected from the tenants
storing data utilizing the on-demand database service.
[0051] To this end, the set of instructions may be applied (e.g. to
the on-demand database service) to affect a result, in accordance
with the programming language instruction. See operation 206. In
various embodiments, the set of instructions may be applied to
provide a result set from the on-demand database service, updating
data in the on-demand database service, and/or performing any
desired action or altering an existing action, in accordance with
the programming language instruction. In one particular embodiment,
the set of instructions may be applied to extend an interface (e.g.
API, graphical user interface, etc.) of the on-demand database
service in any desired manner.
[0052] Various possible features may be enabled by the foregoing
extension technique. In one embodiment, the set of instructions may
be applied to run a set of multi-object manipulations at the
on-demand database service responsive to a single transaction. For
example, the manipulation of multiple objects which previously
required multiple transactions, may, after the extension, require a
single transaction.
[0053] An example of the method 200 of FIG. 2 will now be set forth
in the context of the on-demand database service 102 of FIG. 1A
that incorporates the aforementioned platform. In such example, the
instruction of operation 202 may be received at the on-demand
database service 102 from the developer 104. Thereafter, the
on-demand database service 102 may prepare the set of instructions
of operation 204. To this end, such set of instructions of
operation 204 may be applied by the on-demand database service 102,
in conjunction with use of an application by the tenant(s) 106. By
this design, any desired aspect of the on-demand database service
102 (e.g. one of the applications, etc.) may be extended in
accordance with the original the instruction received from the
developer 104.
[0054] In some embodiments, the programming language instruction
may include a format, syntax, etc. that is tailored for use with a
database system. In one specific embodiment, a procedural language
salesforce object query language (PL/SOQL) programming language
instruction may be employed. In the present embodiment, the PL/SOQL
is capable of serving as a procedural extension to an on-demand
database centric service API that allows flow control and
transaction control to execute on a server in conjunction with
database APIs [e.g. SOQL, data manipulation language (DML), etc.].
The PL/SOQL can enable the capability to thread together multiple
SOQL/DML statements as a single unit of work on the server. The
PL/SOQL need not necessarily be considered a general purpose
programming language, as it is heavily data focused, in some
embodiments. It may, in one optional embodiment, be used by
developers to interface with an on-demand database system, in
contrast to traditional application developers' conventional tools,
such as PL/SQL by Oracle.RTM., Inc. of Redwood Shores, Calif. and
others.
[0055] The present PL/SOQL embodiment may also include syntax and
semantics intended to emulate that of Java, however, the present
embodiment is not limited to Java. The PL/SOQL embodiments may
include variable and expression syntax, block and conditional
syntax, loop syntax, object and array notation, pass by reference,
etc. Where embedded concepts that interface with on-demand database
applications are provided, syntax and semantics that are easy to
understand and which encourage efficient use of database APIs may
also be employed.
[0056] More exemplary information regarding such PL/SOQL embodiment
may be found with reference to U.S. Provisional Patent Application
60/828,757 entitled "PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR
EXTENDING APIS TO EXECUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ON-DEMAND DATABASE
SERVICE," by Craig Weissman, filed Oct. 9, 2006 (Attorney Docket
No. SFCIP009+/032PROV), and U.S. Provisional Patent Application
60/828,192 entitled "PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR
EXTENDING APIS TO EXECUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ON-DEMAND DATABASE
SERVICE," by Craig Weissman, filed Oct. 4, 2006 (Attorney Docket
No. SFC1P008+/032PROV), the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0057] FIG. 3 shows a system 300 for allowing access to developed
applications via an on-demand database service 302, in accordance
with another embodiment. As an option, the present system 300 may
be implemented in the context of the architecture and functionality
of FIGS. 1-2. Of course, however, the system 300 may be carried out
in any desired environment. Again, the aforementioned definitions
may apply during the present description.
[0058] As shown, the on-demand database service 302 remains in
communication with a developer 304 and at least one end user tenant
306 via a network 308. Further, the on-demand database service 302
includes an application server 310 that interfaces with the
developer 304 and user tenant 306 differently. Specifically, the
application server 310 may interface with the developer 304 during
a compile-time phase, and the user tenant 306 during a runtime
phase.
[0059] For example, the application server 310 is adapted to
receive program language instructions (e.g. script, etc.) from the
developer 304 who may, in one embodiment, intend to extend an API
of the on-demand database service 302. In response to receiving
such script, the application server 310 processes (e.g. compiles,
etc.) and stores the same in a database 312. As an option, such
processing may further include any of the desired controls
mentioned earlier, to make sure that the developer 304 employs best
practices, or any other predetermined practices in script
development. In one embodiment, such compiled script may be stored
in the form of metadata, for use in response to requests from the
end user tenant 306. By this feature, the script may be adapted to
be triggered in response to a particular associated request (e.g.
request to select, access, modify, etc. an object) from the end
user tenant 306.
[0060] Specifically, the application server 310 is further adapted
for receiving requests from the end user tenant 306. In response to
such requests, they are processed utilizing a run-time interpreter
314 of the application server 310, by using such request to
identify and retrieve the correlating compiled script from the
database 312. The run-time interpreter 314 is further equipped with
the ability to processing the compiled script. The compiled script
thus may dictate the manner in which the request is fulfilled, etc.
As mentioned earlier, such compiled script may allow for more
efficient retrieval of database information, and/or any other
desired enhancement, etc.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows a method 400 for receiving and processing
script from a developer, in accordance with another embodiment. As
an option, the present method 400 may be implemented in the context
of the architecture and functionality of FIGS. 1-3. For example,
the method 400 may represent functionality of the application
server 310 of FIG. 3, with respect to the developer 304. Of course,
however, the method 400 may be carried out in any desired
environment. Again, aforementioned definitions may apply during the
present description.
[0062] As shown, the present method 400 is triggered upon receipt
of script from a developer. See decision 402. In response to such
receipt, the script is compiled, as set forth in operation 404. In
response to such compilation, the compiled script is stored in the
form of metadata, as indicated in operation 406. To this end, the
metadata is made available for retrieval and use in conjunction
with requests by an end user tenant.
[0063] FIG. 5 shows a method 500 for receiving and processing
requests from an end user, in accordance with another embodiment.
As an option, the present method 500 may be implemented in the
context of the architecture and functionality of FIGS. 1-3. For
example, the method 500 may represent functionality of the
application server 310 of FIG. 3, with respect to the end user
tenant 306. Further, the method 500 may follow the method 400 of
FIG. 4. Of course, however, the method 500 may be carried out in
any desired environment. Yet gain, aforementioned definitions may
apply during the present description.
[0064] In decisions 502, it is first determined whether a request
is received from an end user tenant. If so, such request is first
translated in compliance with a format, protocol, etc. that may be
used to retrieve metadata stored in a database (see operation 406
of FIG. 4). Note operations 506-508. Such metadata may then be
processed at runtime, for affecting results returned to the end
user tenant, as indicated in operation 510.
System Overview
[0065] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an environment 610
wherein an on-demand database service might be used. As an option,
any of the previously described embodiments of the foregoing
figures may or may not be implemented in the context of the
environment 610. Environment 610 may include user systems 612,
network 614, system 616, processor system 617, application platform
618, network interface 620, tenant data storage 622, system data
storage 624, program code 626, and process space 628. In other
embodiments, environment 610 may not have all of the components
listed and/or may have other elements instead of, or in addition
to, those listed above.
[0066] Environment 610 is an environment in which an on-demand
database service exists. User system 612 may be any machine or
system that is used by a user to access a database user system. For
example, any of user systems 612 can be a handheld computing
device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a work station, and/or a
network of computing devices. As illustrated in FIG. 6 (and in more
detail in FIG. 7) user systems 612 might interact via a network
with an on-demand database service, which is system 616.
[0067] An on-demand database service, such as system 616, is a
database system that is made available to outside users that do not
need to necessarily be concerned with building and/or maintaining
the database system, but instead may be available for their use
when the users need the database system (e.g., on the demand of the
users). Some on-demand database services may store information from
one or more tenants stored into tables of a common database image
to form a multi-tenant database system (MTS). Accordingly,
"on-demand database service 616" and "system 616" will be used
interchangeably herein. A database image may include one or more
database objects. A relational database management system (RDMS) or
the equivalent may execute storage and retrieval of information
against the database object(s). Application platform 618 may be a
framework that allows the applications of system 616 to run, such
as the hardware and/or software, e.g., the operating system. In an
embodiment, on-demand database service 616 may include an
application platform 618 that enables creation, managing and
executing one or more applications developed by the provider of the
on-demand database service, users accessing the on-demand database
service via user systems 612, or third party application developers
accessing the on-demand database service via user systems 612.
[0068] The users of user systems 612 may differ in their respective
capacities, and the capacity of a particular user system 612 might
be entirely determined by permissions (permission levels) for the
current user. For example, where a salesperson is using a
particular user system 612 to interact with system 616, that user
system has the capacities allotted to that salesperson. However,
while an administrator is using that user system to interact with
system 616, that user system has the capacities allotted to that
administrator. In systems with a hierarchical role model, users at
one permission level may have access to applications, data, and
database information accessible by a lower permission level user,
but may not have access to certain applications, database
information, and data accessible by a user at a higher permission
level. Thus, different users will have different capabilities with
regard to accessing and modifying application and database
information, depending on a user's security or permission
level.
[0069] Network 614 is any network or combination of networks of
devices that communicate with one another. For example, network 614
can be any one or any combination of a LAN (local area network),
WAN (wide area network), telephone network, wireless network,
point-to-point network, star network, token ring network, hub
network, or other appropriate configuration. As the most common
type of computer network in current use is a TCP/IP (Transfer
Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) network, such as the global
internetwork of networks often referred to as the "Internet" with a
capital "1," that network will be used in many of the examples
herein. However, it should be understood that the networks that the
present invention might use are not so limited, although TCP/IP is
a frequently implemented protocol.
[0070] User systems 612 might communicate with system 616 using
TCP/IP and, at a higher network level, use other common Internet
protocols to communicate, such as HTTP, FTP, AFS, WAP, etc. In an
example where HTTP is used, user system 612 might include an HTTP
client commonly referred to as a "browser" for sending and
receiving HTTP messages to and from an HTTP server at system 616.
Such an HTTP server might be implemented as the sole network
interface between system 616 and network 614, but other techniques
might be used as well or instead. In some implementations, the
interface between system 616 and network 614 includes load sharing
functionality, such as round-robin HTTP request distributors to
balance loads and distribute incoming HTTP requests evenly over a
plurality of servers. At least as for the users that are accessing
that server, each of the plurality of servers has access to the
MTS' data; however, other alternative configurations may be used
instead.
[0071] In one embodiment, system 616, shown in FIG. 6, implements a
web-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. For
example, in one embodiment, system 616 includes application servers
configured to implement and execute CRM software applications as
well as provide related data, code, forms, webpages and other
information to and from user systems 612 and to store to, and
retrieve from, a database system related data, objects, and Webpage
content. With a multi-tenant system, data for multiple tenants may
be stored in the same physical database object, however, tenant
data typically is arranged so that data of one tenant is kept
logically separate from that of other tenants so that one tenant
does not have access to another tenant's data, unless such data is
expressly shared. In certain embodiments, system 616 implements
applications other than, or in addition to, a CRM application. For
example, system 616 may provide tenant access to multiple hosted
(standard and custom) applications, including a CRM application.
User (or third party developer) applications, which may or may not
include CRM, may be supported by the application platform 618,
which manages creation, storage of the applications into one or
more database objects and executing of the applications in a
virtual machine in the process space of the system 616.
[0072] One arrangement for elements of system 616 is shown in FIG.
7, including a network interface 620, application platform 618,
tenant data storage 622 for tenant data 623, system data storage
624 for system data accessible to system 616 and possibly multiple
tenants, program code 626 for implementing various functions of
system 616, and a process space 628 for executing MTS system
processes and tenant-specific processes, such as running
applications as part of an application hosting service. Additional
processes that may execute on system 616 include database indexing
processes.
[0073] Several elements in the system shown in FIG. 6 include
conventional, well-known elements that are explained only briefly
here. For example, each user system 612 could include a desktop
personal computer, workstation, laptop, PDA, cell phone, or any
wireless access protocol (WAP) enabled device or any other
computing device capable of interfacing directly or indirectly to
the Internet or other network connection. User system 612 typically
runs an HTTP client, e.g., a browsing program, such as Microsoft's
Internet Explorer browser, Netscape's Navigator browser, Opera's
browser, or a WAP-enabled browser in the case of a cell phone, PDA
or other wireless device, or the like, allowing a user (e.g.,
subscriber of the multi-tenant database system) of user system 612
to access, process and view information, pages and applications
available to it from system 616 over network 614. Each user system
612 also typically includes one or more user interface devices,
such as a keyboard, a mouse, trackball, touch pad, touch screen,
pen or the like, for interacting with a graphical user interface
(GUI) provided by the browser on a display (e.g., a monitor screen,
LCD display, etc.) in conjunction with pages, forms, applications
and other information provided by system 616 or other systems or
servers. For example, the user interface device can be used to
access data and applications hosted by system 616, and to perform
searches on stored data, and otherwise allow a user to interact
with various GUI pages that may be presented to a user. As
discussed above, embodiments are suitable for use with the
Internet, which refers to a specific global internetwork of
networks. However, it should be understood that other networks can
be used instead of the Internet, such as an intranet, an extranet,
a virtual private network (VPN), a non-TCP/IP based network, any
LAN or WAN or the like.
[0074] According to one embodiment, each user system 612 and all of
its components are operator configurable using applications, such
as a browser, including computer code run using a central
processing unit such as an Intel Pentium.RTM. processor or the
like. Similarly, system 616 (and additional instances of an MTS,
where more than one is present) and all of their components might
be operator configurable using application(s) including computer
code to run using a central processing unit such as processor
system 617, which may include an Intel Pentium.RTM. processor or
the like, and/or multiple processor units. A computer program
product embodiment includes a machine-readable storage medium
(media) having instructions stored thereon/in which can be used to
program a computer to perform any of the processes of the
embodiments described herein. Computer code for operating and
configuring system 616 to intercommunicate and to process webpages,
applications and other data and media content as described herein
are preferably downloaded and stored on a hard disk, but the entire
program code, or portions thereof, may also be stored in any other
volatile or non-volatile memory medium or device as is well known,
such as a ROM or RAM, or provided on any media capable of storing
program code, such as any type of rotating media including floppy
disks, optical discs, digital versatile disk (DVD), compact disk
(CD), microdrive, and magneto-optical disks, and magnetic or
optical cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), or any
type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and/or
data. Additionally, the entire program code, or portions thereof,
may be transmitted and downloaded from a software source over a
transmission medium, e.g., over the Internet, or from another
server, as is well known, or transmitted over any other
conventional network connection as is well known (e.g., extranet,
VPN, LAN, etc.) using any communication medium and protocols (e.g.,
TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, Ethernet, etc.) as are well known. It will
also be appreciated that computer code for implementing embodiments
of the present invention can be implemented in any programming
language that can be executed on a client system and/or server or
server system such as, for example, C, C++, HTML, any other markup
language, Java.TM., JavaScript, ActiveX, any other scripting
language, such as VBScript, and many other programming languages as
are well known may be used. (Java.TM. is a trademark of Sun
Microsystems, Inc.).
[0075] According to one embodiment, each system 616 is configured
to provide webpages, forms, applications, data and media content to
user (client) systems 612 to support the access by user systems 612
as tenants of system 616. As such, system 616 provides security
mechanisms to keep each tenant's data separate unless the data is
shared. If more than one MTS is used, they may be located in close
proximity to one another (e.g., in a server farm located in a
single building or campus), or they may be distributed at locations
remote from one another (e.g., one or more servers located in city
A and one or more servers located in city B). As used herein, each
MTS could include one or more logically and/or physically connected
servers distributed locally or across one or more geographic
locations. Additionally, the term "server" is meant to include a
computer system, including processing hardware and process
space(s), and an associated storage system and database application
(e.g., OODBMS or RDBMS) as is well known in the art. It should also
be understood that "server system" and "server" are often used
interchangeably herein. Similarly, the database object described
herein can be implemented as single databases, a distributed
database, a collection of distributed databases, a database with
redundant online or offline backups or other redundancies, etc.,
and might include a distributed database or storage network and
associated processing intelligence.
[0076] FIG. 7 also illustrates environment 610. However, in FIG. 7
elements of system 616 and various interconnections in an
embodiment are further illustrated. FIG. 7 shows that user system
612 may include processor system 612A, memory system 612B, input
system 612C, and output system 612D. FIG. 7 shows network 614 and
system 616. FIG. 7 also shows that system 616 may include tenant
data storage 622, tenant data 623, system data storage 624, system
data 625, User Interface (UI) 730, Application Program Interface
(API) 732, PL/SOQL 734, save routines 736, application setup
mechanism 738, applications servers 700.sub.1-700.sub.N, system
process space 702, tenant process spaces 704, tenant management
process space 710, tenant storage area 712, user storage 714, and
application metadata 716. In other embodiments, environment 610 may
not have the same elements as those listed above and/or may have
other elements instead of, or in addition to, those listed
above.
[0077] User system 612, network 614, system 616, tenant data
storage 622, and system data storage 624 were discussed above in
FIG. 6. Regarding user system 612, processor system 612A may be any
combination of one or more processors. Memory system 612B may be
any combination of one or more memory devices, short term, and/or
long term memory. Input system 612C may be any combination of input
devices, such as one or more keyboards, mice, trackballs, scanners,
cameras, and/or interfaces to networks. Output system 612D may be
any combination of output devices, such as one or more monitors,
printers, and/or interfaces to networks. As shown by FIG. 7, system
616 may include a network interface 620 (of FIG. 6) implemented as
a set of HTTP application servers 700, an application platform 618,
tenant data storage 622, and system data storage 624. Also shown is
system process space 702, including individual tenant process
spaces 704 and a tenant management process space 710. Each
application server 700 may be configured to tenant data storage 622
and the tenant data 623 therein, and system data storage 624 and
the system data 625 therein to serve requests of user systems 612.
The tenant data 623 might be divided into individual tenant storage
areas 712, which can be either a physical arrangement and/or a
logical arrangement of data. Within each tenant storage area 712,
user storage 714 and application metadata 716 might be similarly
allocated for each user. For example, a copy of a user's most
recently used (MRU) items might be stored to user storage 714.
Similarly, a copy of MRU items for an entire organization that is a
tenant might be stored to tenant storage area 712. A UI 730
provides a user interface and an API 732 provides an application
programmer interface to system 616 resident processes to users
and/or developers at user systems 612. The tenant data and the
system data may be stored in various databases, such as one or more
Oracle.TM. databases.
[0078] Application platform 618 includes an application setup
mechanism 738 that supports application developers' creation and
management of applications, which may be saved as metadata into
tenant data storage 622 by save routines 736 for execution by
subscribers as one or more tenant process spaces 704 managed by
tenant management process 710 for example. Invocations to such
applications may be coded using PL/SOQL 34 that provides a
programming language style interface extension to API 732. A
detailed description of some PL/SOQL language embodiments is
discussed in commonly owned co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent
Application 60/828,192 entitled, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHOD AND
SYSTEM FOR EXTENDING APIS TO EXECUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH DATABASE
APIS, by Craig Weissman, filed Oct. 4, 2006, which is incorporated
in its entirety herein for all purposes. Invocations to
applications may be detected by one or more system processes, which
manages retrieving application metadata 716 for the subscriber
making the invocation and executing the metadata as an application
in a virtual machine.
[0079] Each application server 700 may be communicably coupled to
database systems, e.g., having access to system data 625 and tenant
data 623, via a different network connection. For example, one
application server 700.sub.1 might be coupled via the network 614
(e.g., the Internet), another application server 700.sub.N-1 might
be coupled via a direct network link, and another application
server 700.sub.N might be coupled by yet a different network
connection. Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) are typical protocols for communicating between
application servers 700 and the database system. However, it will
be apparent to one skilled in the art that other transport
protocols may be used to optimize the system depending on the
network interconnect used.
[0080] In certain embodiments, each application server 700 is
configured to handle requests for any user associated with any
organization that is a tenant. Because it is desirable to be able
to add and remove application servers from the server pool at any
time for any reason, there is preferably no server affinity for a
user and/or organization to a specific application server 700. In
one embodiment, therefore, an interface system implementing a load
balancing function (e.g., an F5 Big-IP load balancer) is
communicably coupled between the application servers 700 and the
user systems 612 to distribute requests to the application servers
700. In one embodiment, the load balancer uses a least connections
algorithm to route user requests to the application servers 700.
Other examples of load balancing algorithms, such as round robin
and observed response time, also can be used. For example, in
certain embodiments, three consecutive requests from the same user
could hit three different application servers 700, and three
requests from different users could hit the same application server
700. In this manner, system 616 is multi-tenant, wherein system 616
handles storage of, and access to, different objects, data and
applications across disparate users and organizations.
[0081] As an example of storage, one tenant might be a company that
employs a sales force where each salesperson uses system 616 to
manage their sales process. Thus, a user might maintain contact
data, leads data, customer follow-up data, performance data, goals
and progress data, etc., all applicable to that user's personal
sales process (e.g., in tenant data storage 622). In an example of
a MTS arrangement, since all of the data and the applications to
access, view, modify, report, transmit, calculate, etc., can be
maintained and accessed by a user system having nothing more than
network access, the user can manage his or her sales efforts and
cycles from any of many different user systems. For example, if a
salesperson is visiting a customer and the customer has Internet
access in their lobby, the salesperson can obtain critical updates
as to that customer while waiting for the customer to arrive in the
lobby.
[0082] While each user's data might be separate from other users'
data regardless of the employers of each user, some data might be
organization-wide data shared or accessible by a plurality of users
or all of the users for a given organization that is a tenant.
Thus, there might be some data structures managed by system 616
that are allocated at the tenant level while other data structures
might be managed at the user level. Because an MTS might support
multiple tenants including possible competitors, the MTS should
have security protocols that keep data, applications, and
application use separate. Also, because many tenants may opt for
access to an MTS rather than maintain their own system, redundancy,
up-time, and backup are additional functions that may be
implemented in the MTS. In addition to user-specific data and
tenant-specific data, system 616 might also maintain system level
data usable by multiple tenants or other data. Such system level
data might include industry reports, news, postings, and the like
that are sharable among tenants.
[0083] In certain embodiments, user systems 612 (which may be
client systems) communicate with application servers 700 to request
and update system-level and tenant-level data from system 616 that
may require sending one or more queries to tenant data storage 622
and/or system data storage 624. System 616 (e.g., an application
server 700 in system 616) automatically generates one or more SQL
statements (e.g., one or more SQL queries) that are designed to
access the desired information. System data storage 624 may
generate query plans to access the requested data from the
database.
[0084] Each database can generally be viewed as a collection of
objects, such as a set of logical tables, containing data fitted
into predefined categories. A "table" is one representation of a
data object, and may be used herein to simplify the conceptual
description of objects and custom objects according to the present
invention. It should be understood that "table" and "object" may be
used interchangeably herein. Each table generally contains one or
more data categories logically arranged as columns or fields in a
viewable schema. Each row or record of a table contains an instance
of data for each category defined by the fields. For example, a CRM
database may include a table that describes a customer with fields
for basic contact information such as name, address, phone number,
fax number, etc. Another table might describe a purchase order,
including fields for information such as customer, product, sale
price, date, etc. In some multi-tenant database systems, standard
entity tables might be provided for use by all tenants. For CRM
database applications, such standard entities might include tables
for Account, Contact, Lead, and Opportunity data, each containing
pre-defined fields. It should be understood that the word "entity"
may also be used interchangeably herein with "object" and
"table".
[0085] In some multi-tenant database systems, tenants may be
allowed to create and store custom objects, or they may be allowed
to customize standard entities or objects, for example by creating
custom fields for standard objects, including custom index fields.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/817,161, filed Apr. 2, 2004,
entitled "Custom Entities and Fields in a Multi-Tenant Database
System", and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference,
teaches systems and methods for creating custom objects as well as
customizing standard objects in a multi-tenant database system. In
certain embodiments, for example, all custom entity data rows are
stored in a single multi-tenant physical table, which may contain
multiple logical tables per organization. It is transparent to
customers that their multiple "tables" are in fact stored in one
large table or that their data may be stored in the same table as
the data of other customers.
[0086] While the invention has been described by way of example and
in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the
contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar
arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the
broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications
and similar arrangements.
* * * * *