Securing data using key sharing

Abstract

To provide methods and systems for securing customer data in a multi-tenant database environment.SOLUTION: A key identifier received from a security server may be stored by an application server. The key identifier may be associated with a private key that is accessible by the security server and not accessible by the application server. A request to derive a symmetric key may be transmitted from the application server to the security server, the request including a public key generated by the application server, a salt value, and the key identifier. The symmetric key may then be derived based on the transmitted public key and the private key using a key derivation function. The application server may then receive and store the symmetric key in an in-memory cache, and be used to securely encrypt data received by the application server from client devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Part of the disclosure of this patent document contains materials subject to copyright protection. Since the patent document or patent disclosure is in the patent file or record of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the copyright owner has no objection to its reproduction by facsimile, but retains copyright in all other respects whatsoever. Related Art

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to data processing, and more specifically, to the encryption and decryption of data.

Background Art

[0003] The subject matter discussed in the background art section should not be assumed to be prior art solely based on the mention in the background art section. Similarly, the problems mentioned in the background art section or associated with the subject matter of the background art section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background art section merely represents different approaches and may itself be an invention.

[0004] The following detailed description is made with reference to the disclosed technology. Preferred implementations are described to illustrate the disclosed technology, not to limit the scope defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize various equivalent variations to this description.

[0005] Existing approaches for securing data (e.g., customer data) stored in a memory area (e.g., database, data store, etc.) may be based on asymmetric or symmetric encryption. In asymmetric encryption, a key pair of a public key and a private key is used. Customer data can be encrypted using the public key and decrypted using the corresponding private key. Typically, encrypting data using the public key of an asymmetric key pair is very slow. Instead, encrypting data using a symmetric key is an acceptable implementation. The symmetric key itself is encrypted using the public key, thereby solving the performance problem of asymmetric key encryption. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0006] This document describes a method and system for securing customer data in a multi-tenant database environment. A key identifier received from a security server via a network connection may be stored by the application server. The key identifier may be associated with a private key, which is accessible by the security server but inaccessible to the application server. The application server may also communicate with multiple client devices via the network. A request for deriving a symmetric key may be sent from the application server to the security server. The request may be sent after the application server has stored the key identifier and may include a public key, salt value, and key identifier generated by the application server. The symmetric key is then derived by the security server using a key derivation function based on the transmitted public and private keys and sent to the application server. The application server may then store the symmetric key in its in-memory cache and use it to encrypt data received from one of the multiple client devices.

[0007] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention may be found in the subsequent drawings, detailed description and review of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] The included drawings are for illustrative purposes only and serve only to provide examples of possible structures and process steps for the disclosed technology. These drawings do not in any way limit any modifications of form and detail that can be made to embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram of an exemplary computing system that may be used in some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0010] [Figure 2] A diagram of an exemplary network environment that may be used in some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0011] [Figure 3] The following illustrates exemplary relationships between a symmetric key and a customer in several embodiments.

[0012] [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrates an exemplary process for encrypting customer data using a symmetric key generated via key sharing, which is performed according to several embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrates an exemplary process for generating a symmetric key request using key sharing, according to several embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 6] This document presents an exemplary data structure that lists various symmetric keys assigned to different tenants in a multi-tenant environment, according to various embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 7] This document illustrates an exemplary data structure that lists key identifiers along with their corresponding secret keys, in various embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 8] A flowchart shows an exemplary process for generating a symmetric key using key sharing, which is performed according to several embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 9] This diagram shows an exemplary process for performing key rotation on an application server using various embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 10] Exemplary data structures for storing rotated symmetric keys for customers in a multi-tenant environment according to various embodiments are shown.

[0019] [Figure 11] Exemplary data structures for indicating destruction of symmetric keys according to various embodiments are shown.

[0020] [Figure 12A] System diagram 800 is shown, which exemplifies architectural components of an applicable environment according to some embodiments.

[0021] [Figure 12B] A system diagram is shown, which further exemplifies architectural components of an applicable environment according to some embodiments.

[0022] [Figure 13] A system diagram is shown, which exemplifies the architecture of a multi-tenant database environment according to some embodiments.

[0023] [Figure 14] A system diagram is shown, which further exemplifies the architecture of a multi-tenant database environment according to some embodiments. **DETAILED DESCRIPTION**

[0024] The application of the system and method according to one or more embodiments is described in this section. These examples are provided only to add context to the present disclosure and aid understanding. Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the techniques described herein can be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Other applications are possible, and as a result, the following examples should not be construed as definitive or limiting in any sense of scope or setting.

[0025] The following detailed description will refer to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the description and illustrate specific embodiments. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the disclosure, these examples are not limiting, and as a result other embodiments may be used and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

[0026] As used herein, the term “multitenant database system” refers to a system in which various hardware and software elements of the database system may be shared by one or more customers. For example, a given application server may process requests from many customers simultaneously, and a given database table may store rows for potentially more customers.

[0027] The subject matter described may be implemented in the context of any computer implementation system, such as a software-based system, a database system, or a multitenant environment. Furthermore, the subject matter described may be implemented in relation to two or more separate computer implementation systems that cooperate and communicate with each other. One or more embodiments may be implemented in numerous ways, including processes, apparatus, systems, devices, methods, computer-readable media such as computer-readable storage media containing computer-readable instructions or computer program code, and computer program products including computer-usable media having computer-readable program code embodied therein.

[0028] Generally, a multi-tenant database environment may include multiple databases configured to store data associated with an organization or customers. The data (also known as customer data) may not be encrypted when stored by the customer. Customer data may be encrypted while stationary using asymmetric or symmetric encryption. Encrypted customer data protects it from access by unauthorized users. While encrypting customer data may be important, it may be desirable to secure the decryption key (private or symmetric key). The decryption key may be stored in storage accessible only to specific authorized personnel (e.g., database administrators). When a customer wants to retrieve customer data, the encrypted customer data may be decrypted using the decryption key. The decrypted customer data may then be sent to the customer. Encrypted customer data may be stored in any storage associated with the multi-tenant database environment, including cloud-based storage, non-cloud-based storage, or other forms of storage implementation.

[0029] One technique for protecting decryption keys is to use a Hardware Security Module (HSM). The HSM provides onboard secure key generation and onboard key storage management. The HSM may be used to generate asymmetric or symmetric key pairs. The HSM may store the private key in its storage, preventing external parties from extracting it. A password may be required to use an HSM installed in the system. The HSM may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device connected via a USB port, a card device installed via a system board, or a network-connected device.

[0030] Traditional systems for securing customer data may use key wrapping to generate a symmetric key that will later be used to encrypt the customer data. Other systems may utilize RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) encryption to enable message communication between client systems and application servers. Such approaches have several drawbacks. Firstly, the secret key must remain on the application server, which means there are multiple potential areas (application server and HSM server) where security could be compromised. Also, using traditional approaches, symmetric key derivation can involve time- and computationally expensive processes, such as password-based key wrapping. When key derivation processes take such significant resources, the HSM is often required to cache all key fragments used for encryption. In a multi-tenant environment, this can create a significant security risk, as unauthorized access to the HSM could lead to a malicious user accessing the symmetric keys of multiple entities. Furthermore, it is speculated that quantum computing may be able to compromise RSA encryption, potentially making customer data encrypted using RSA keys vulnerable in the future.

[0031] The disclosed embodiments may relate to the encryption and decryption or securing of customer data in computer implementation systems. The described subject matter may be implemented in the context of any computer implementation system, such as a software-based system, a database system, or a multi-tenant environment. Furthermore, the described subject matter may be implemented in relation to two or more separate computer implementation systems that cooperate and communicate with each other. One or more implementations may be implemented in numerous ways, including processes, apparatus, systems, devices, methods, computer-readable media such as computer-readable storage media containing computer-readable instructions or computer program code, and computer program products including computer-usable media having computer-readable program code embodied within them. Computer Systems

[0032] Figure 1 shows an exemplary computing system that may be used in some embodiments of the present invention. Computing system 102 may be used by a customer or organization to transmit customer data stored in storage associated with a multitenant database environment. For example, the multitenant database environment may be associated with a service provided by Salesforce.com®. Computing system 102 may also be used to retrieve customer data from storage.

[0033] Computing system 102 is merely an example of a suitable computing system, such as a mobile computing system, and is not intended to imply any limitations on the scope or functionality of the design. Furthermore, computing system 102 should not be construed as having any dependency or requirement on any one or combination of the exemplary components. This design operates on a number of other general-purpose or special-purpose computing systems. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and / or configurations that may be suitable for use with this design include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and distributed computing environments including any of the systems or devices described above. For example, computing system 102 may be implemented as a mobile computing system, such as one configured to run on an operating system developed by Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California (e.g., iOS) or an operating system developed by Google Inc. in Mountain View, California (e.g., Android).

[0034] Some embodiments of the present invention may be described in the general context of computer system executable instructions, such as program modules, which are executed by a computer. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. Those skilled in the art can implement the descriptions and / or figures herein as computer executable instructions, which may be materialized on any form of computing machine-readable medium discussed below.

[0035] Some embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented in a distributed computing environment in which tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked over a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may reside on both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1, the computing system 102 may include, but is not limited to, a processing unit 120 having one or more processing cores, a system memory 130, and a system bus 121 connecting various system components, including the system memory 130, to the processing unit 120. The system bus 121 may be any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of various bus architectures. Examples, though not limited, of such architectures include the ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, the MCA (Micro Channel Architecture) bus, the EISA (Enhanced ISA) bus, the VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) bus, and the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, also known as a mezzanine bus.

[0037] Computer system 102 typically includes various computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available media accessible by computer system 102, including both volatile and non-volatile media, and both removable and non-removable media. For example, but not limited to, computer-readable media may store information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage, or any other media that can be used to store desired information and are accessible by computing system 102. Communication media typically embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, or program modules.

[0038] The system memory 130 may include computer storage media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only (ROM) memory 131 and random-access memory (RAM) 132. The basic input / output system (BIOS) 133 contains basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the computing system 102, such as during startup, and is typically stored in ROM 131. RAM 132 typically contains data and / or program modules that are immediately accessible to the processing unit 120 and / or currently being operated by the processing unit 120. As an example, but not an limitation, Figure 1 also illustrates an operating system 134, an application program 135, other program modules 136, and program data 137.

[0039] The computing system 102 may also include other removable / non-removable volatile / non-volatile computer storage media. Simply as an example, Figure 1 also illustrates a hard disk drive 141 that reads from or writes to a non-removable non-volatile magnetic medium, a magnetic disk drive 151 that reads from or writes to a removable non-volatile magnetic disk 152, and an optical disk drive 155 that reads from or writes to a removable non-volatile optical disk 156, such as a CD-ROM or other optical medium. Other removable / non-removable volatile / non-volatile computer storage media that may be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, USB drives and devices, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital multipurpose disks, digital videotapes, solid-state RAM, solid-state ROM, etc. The hard disk drive 141 is typically connected to the system bus 121 via a non-removable memory interface such as interface 140, while the magnetic disk drive 151 and optical disk drive 155 are typically connected to the system bus 121 via a removable memory interface such as interface 150.

[0040] The drives and associated computer storage media discussed above and illustrated in Figure 1 provide storage for computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer system 102. In Figure 1, for example, a hard disk drive 141 is illustrated as storing an operating system 144, an application program 145, other program modules 146, and program data 147. Note that these components may be the same as or different from the operating system 134, application program 135, other program modules 136, and program data 137. The operating system 144, application program 145, other program modules 146, and program data 147 are given different numerical identifiers here to illustrate that they are at least different copies.

[0041] The user can input commands and information to the computing system 102 via input devices such as a keyboard 162, a microphone 163, and a pointing device 161 such as a mouse, trackball, touchpad, or touchscreen. Other input devices (not shown) may include joysticks, gamepads, scanners, etc. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 120 via a user input interface 160 coupled to the system bus 121, but may also be connected by other interfaces and bus structures such as a parallel port, game port, or Universal Serial Bus (USB). A monitor 191 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 121 via an interface such as a video interface 190. In addition to the monitor, the computer may also include other peripheral output devices, such as speakers 197 and a printer 196, which may be connected via an output peripheral interface 190.

[0042] Computer system 102 may operate in a network environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as remote computer 180. Remote computer 180 may be a personal computer, handheld device, server, router, network PC, peer device, or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above with respect to computer system 102. The logical connections shown in Figure 1 include a local area network 171 and a wide area network 173, but may also include other networks. Such network environments are common in offices, corporate networks, intranets, and the internet.

[0043] When used in a LAN network environment, the computing system 102 may be connected to the LAN 171 via a network interface or adapter 170. When used in a WAN network environment, the computing system 102 typically includes a modem 172 or other means for establishing communication over a WAN 173 such as the Internet. The modem 172 may be internal or external and may be connected to the system bus 121 via a user input interface 160 or other suitable mechanism. In a network environment, the program modules illustrated for the computing system 102 or a portion thereof may be stored in a remote memory storage device. As an example, but not an limitation, Figure 1 illustrates a remote application program 185 residing on a remote computer 180. The illustrated network connection is illustrative, and it will be understood that other means may be used to establish communication links between computers.

[0044] It should be noted that some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented on a computing system as described with respect to Figure 1. However, some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented on a distributed system in which a server, a computer dedicated to message handling, a handheld device, or different parts of the design of the present invention may be implemented in different parts of a distributed computing system.

[0045] Other devices that may be coupled with the system bus 121 are power sources such as batteries, direct current (DC) power supplies, and alternating current (AC) adapter circuits. The DC power source may be a battery, fuel cell, or similar DC power supply that needs to be recharged periodically. The communication module (or modem) 172 may use a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) to establish a wireless communication channel. The communication module 172 may implement a wireless networking standard such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, IEEE std. 802.11-1999, published by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) in 1999.

[0046] Examples of mobile computing systems may include laptop computers, tablet computers, netbooks, smartphones, personal digital assistants, or other similar devices powered by a DC power supply that provides a direct current (DC) voltage to the mobile computing system, and which reside independently within the mobile computing system and have onboard processing power and wireless communication capabilities that require periodic charging, such as a fuel cell or battery.

[0047] Figure 2 shows an exemplary network environment that may be used in some embodiments of the present invention. The network environment 200 includes computing systems 205 and 212. One or more of the computing systems 205 and 212 may be mobile computing systems. The computing systems 205 and 212 may be connected to a network 250 via a cellular connection or a Wi-Fi router (not shown). The network 250 may be the Internet. The computing systems 205 and 212 may be coupled to one or more server computing systems 255 and 260 via the network 250.

[0048] The application server 255 may communicate with multiple customer devices over the network. Each computing system 205 may be associated with a customer and may include a customer application module 208. Users may use the user computing system 205 and the user application module 208 to connect to and communicate with the server computing system 255 (also called the application server 255) and log in to application 257 (for example, the Salesforce.com® application). Users may send customer data to the application server 255 and request customer data from the application server 255.

[0049] The application server 255 may be coupled with a database 270 configured to store customer data. The application server 255 may be associated with an entity (e.g., Salesforce.com®). The entity may generate a key pair for encryption. The key pair includes a public key 273 and a private key (not shown). The private key is not made available to the public and is kept secret by the entity (also called the key holder). The public key 273 may be made available to anyone by means of a digital certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). The certificate is also a confirmation or verification by the CA that the public key contained in the certificate belongs to the entity listed in the certificate. For example, a customer can download a certificate, obtain the public key 273, and encrypt customer data sent to the application server 255. Only the entity (or the holder of the private key) can decrypt the customer data encrypted using the public key 273.

[0050] The application server 255 may be coupled with a cryptographic computing system 212, which consists of a cryptographic application module 214. The cryptographic application module 214 may be configured to generate a public key, a private key, a symmetric key, and one or more key fragments for decryption, as shown in Figure 4A.

[0051] The application server 255 may be coupled with the file system 271. The file system 271 may be configured to store various encryption keys, including keys generated by the cryptographic computing system 212.

[0052] The application server 255 may be coupled with a security server computing system 260 (also called an HSM server 260) consisting of an HSM 266. The HSM 266 may be associated with an HSM public key 267 and an HSM private key 268. The HSM server 260 may include an HSM application module 265 configured to interact with the HSM 266 and perform various encryption and decryption operations. For example, the HSM application module 265 may use the HSM private key 268 to decrypt data previously encrypted using the corresponding HSM public key 267. A password may be required to access the HSM 266. For load balancing purposes, there may be multiple application servers 255 and multiple HSM servers 260 connected to a load balancer (not shown). All application servers 255 may need to know which HSM servers 260 they can talk to at a given time.

[0053] In some embodiments, the file system 271 may be synchronized with a file system local to the HSM server 260. This allows the HSM server 260 to access and store data in the file system 271 as if it were a local file system. In some embodiments, the HSM server 260 can only respond to queries sent by the application server 255. This can prevent unauthorized users from accessing data or services associated with the HSM server 260. For example, the application servers 255 may need to digitally sign all requests they send to the HSM server 260 using a secret they share. Use of symmetric keys

[0054] Figure 3 illustrates exemplary relationships between a symmetric key and a customer in several embodiments. In this example, there are two customers, 315 and 325. During operation, customer 315 may send its customer data 320 to application server 255. The application server 255 then encrypts the customer data 320 using a symmetric key 322 unique to customer 315, generating encrypted customer data 324. The encrypted customer data 324 is then stored in database 270. Subsequently, when customer 315 requests its customer data, the encrypted customer data 324 is retrieved from database 270, decrypted by application server 255 using the symmetric key 322, and the decrypted customer data 320 is sent to customer 315.

[0055] Similarly, customer 325 may send its customer data 330 to application server 255. The application server 255 then encrypts the customer data 330 using a symmetric key 332 unique to customer 325, generating encrypted customer data 334. The encrypted customer data 334 is then stored in database 270. When customer 325 requests that customer data, the encrypted customer data 334 is retrieved from database 270, decrypted by application server 255 using the symmetric key 332, and the decrypted customer data 330 is sent to customer 325.

[0056] When application server 255 needs to access symmetric key 322 or 332, application server 255 may check to see if symmetric key 322 or 332 exists in the in-memory cache 307. If symmetric key 322 or 332 exists in the in-memory cache 307, it is accessed and used by application server 255. If symmetric key 322 or 332 does not exist in the in-memory cache 307, application server 255 may request the security server to derive symmetric key 322 or 332, receive the symmetric key, and use the regenerated symmetric key to decrypt the corresponding encrypted customer data.

[0057] Figure 4 shows a specific embodiment of a flowchart for method 400 for requesting a symmetric key generated using a key agreement for encrypting and / or decrypting customer data. Process 600 may be performed by an application server 255 (shown in Figure 2) communicating with a security server 260 and an HSM 266. The key identifier may be received at setup, for example, from a security server such as security server 260, via a network connection, and may be stored by the application server (e.g., application server 255) in step 405. The key identifier may be one of many key identifiers received from the security server, which may assign multiple secret keys for the application server to use against the security server. The key identifier may be associated with a secret key, which is accessible by the security server but not by the application server. In block 407, customer data may be received by the application server for storage, for example, in a database 270. The customer data is encrypted before being stored in the database 270, and therefore the receipt of customer data by the application server triggers step 408. Alternatively, a request may be made by the customer for data previously encrypted by the application server and stored in database 270. The request may be made by a user using the customer computing system 205 via an application programming interface (API) or user interface (UI). Once the customer data is identified in the database, the symmetric key used to encrypt the customer data must be used to decrypt the customer data before sending the requested data to the customer.

[0058] In step 408, the application server 255 may determine whether the symmetric key 308 exists in the application server 255's in-memory cache 307. If the symmetric key 308 is found, the process proceeds to step 420, where the symmetric key 308 may be used to encrypt (or decrypt, if the customer is querying encrypted data stored in the database 270) the customer data. The decrypted customer data may then be sent to the user, or, in the case of encryption, the encrypted customer data may be stored in the application server (e.g., the database 270, or a similar data structure).

[0059] From block 408, if the application server 255 cannot find the symmetric key 322 in the in-memory cache 307, the symmetric key 322 must be derived. A request for the symmetric key may be sent from the application server to the security server in step 410. The request may be sent after the application server has stored the key identifier and may include the public key, salt value, and key identifier generated by the application server.

[0060] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an exemplary process for generating a symmetric key request using key sharing, according to several embodiments. In step 505, the application server may generate a public-private key pair, the public key of which may be used for the symmetric key request. The public and private keys may be generated using any preferred method, including but not limited to elliptic curve cryptography (where both the public and private keys correspond to different points on an elliptic curve and are encrypted using elliptic curve cryptography). In step 510, a random salt value is generated, which is an unused key identifier from the security server pool. The random salt value may be randomly generated data used to generate each symmetric key, and a different salt number or string may be used for each symmetric key request. The salt value generally has enough bits to be unique among a potentially large number of clients, and having more bits increases security but also increases the complexity (and potentially time delay) of generating the symmetric key.

[0061] The key identifier may be selected from several key identifiers available to the application server 255 via the security server's key pool, a list of which has been previously sent to the application server as described above. Finally, a request containing the generated public key, salt value, and key identifier may be sent by the application server to the security server in step 515. Furthermore, the combination of the public key, salt value, and key identifier may be stored in the application server's persistent storage (i.e., a data structure), and the application server may easily regenerate the symmetric key at a later date.

[0062] Figure 6 shows a simplified block diagram 600, which includes an exemplary data structure 650 listing various symmetric keys assigned to different tenants in a multi-tenant environment according to various embodiments. Figure 600 includes a tenant-aware database 605, which may correspond to a database 270 communicating with the application server 255 in Figure 2, and which includes the data structure 650. The data structure 650 may be persistent storage containing a combination of a public key, a key identifier (also called a key server ID), and a random salt value used to generate symmetric keys for multiple tenants (e.g., customers 315 and 325 in Figure 3). Rows such as rows 612 and 618 of the data structure 650 may correspond to individual symmetric keys used by the application server.

[0063] Symmetric keys for multiple tenants may be included in the data structure 650, as exemplified by a symmetric key entry 618 having a tenant ID 620 different from that of symmetric key entry 612. Each symmetric key entry may be associated with a tenant ID field value 615, a public key value 630 (associated with a public key generated by the application server when requesting a symmetric key corresponding to entry 612), a key identifier value 635 (associated with a private key accessible to the security server used to generate the symmetric key), and a salt value 640 (a randomly generated number or string, as shown in the figure). In a situation where the application is decrypting customer data, metadata associated with the customer data may be used to identify which symmetric key in the data structure 650 was used to encrypt the customer data. This metadata may include, for example, any identifier that enables the application server to identify the symmetric key used for encryption, including the public key value 630 for the symmetric key used to encrypt the customer data. Since the public key value for each symmetric key can be unique in various embodiments (i.e., to provide greater security, the public key is not reused for different symmetric keys), the public key value 630 may be useful for identifying the symmetric key for the purpose of decrypting encrypted customer data.

[0064] As described in step 410 of Figure 4, a request for a symmetric key may be sent to a security server, which may generate a symmetric key using the data specified in the request. Figure 8 shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 800 for generating a symmetric key generated using key sharing, which is performed according to several embodiments. In some embodiments, the security server may be outside the control of the customer whose data is encrypted / decrypted by the symmetric key, but this is not necessarily the case. In some embodiments, the customer itself may communicate with an HSM or other suitable key store to use the customer host's keys for the service. In step 805, a request to derive a symmetric key is received from the application server to the security server, and the request includes, as described above, a public key, a salt value, and a key identifier associated with the private key.

[0065] In response to receiving a request, the security server may derive a symmetric key using a key derivation function based on the received public key, salt value, and private key identified by the key identifier. Key derivation may be initiated by retrieving the private key from a storage location inaccessible to the application server in step 810. Alternatively, the private key may be obtained from a key management service communicating with the security server. The key management service may store multiple private keys (HSM, or, for example, storage under the control of the key management service) linked to multiple key identifiers provided to the security server. The key management service may communicate with the security server over a network connection and may take the form of an HSM that secures all private keys contained within. Alternatively, the key management service may split the private key among multiple key servers, and the private key sharing multiparty computing only allows a subset of key servers (including the key management service server) to perform cryptographic computing that effectively enables access to the private key from the location where the key sharing is stored, without actually assembling the private key on the key servers. Such embodiments may provide additional security by not storing the secret keys on the security server, but only providing them upon request. Alternatively, the storage location may be a data store within the security server. Figure 7 shows a simplified block diagram 700 illustrating an exemplary data structure 730 that lists key identifiers (e.g., each row such as row 710) along with the corresponding secret keys, according to various embodiments.

[0066] The data structure 730, which contains a list of asymmetric key pairs (public and private keys), may be stored in a security server key bank 705, which may be an HSM, a key management service that communicates with the security server, or, in various embodiments, a data store within the security server itself. Row 710 illustrates an asymmetric key pair record in the private key data structure 730, listing the corresponding key identifier 715 for the asymmetric key pair and the private key 725 associated with the key identifier. Row 710 may also contain a public key 720 associated with the private key 725, and as shown in the exemplary data structure 730, the public key 720 may be an elliptic curve public key generated by elliptic curve cryptography. The public key 720 may not generally be used for symmetric key generation and, in some embodiments, may be discarded by the key service.

[0067] Returning to Figure 8, after obtaining the private key, a key-sharing protocol may be applied in step 815 to the public and private keys selected in the request by the key identifier in order to obtain the key-sharing key. Any suitable key-sharing protocol may be used to generate the key-sharing key from the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier, including Diffie-Hellman key exchange, anonymous key exchange, etc. In exemplary embodiments, the key-sharing protocol may be based on a common elliptic curve function for generating the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier. The public key and the private key associated with the key identifier may be derived from the same elliptic curve (even though they are from separate elliptic curve key pairs corresponding to different points on the elliptic curve), and any suitable key-sharing function may be applied to the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier. Such a function may be as simple as multiplying the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier to obtain a unique number. The use of key-sharing may be advantageous over the generation of symmetric keys in cryptography by other methods such as key wrapping, which are vulnerable to quantum computing attacks. In contrast, key-sharing is generally more secure, even against quantum computing code-breaking techniques.

[0068] Finally, the symmetric key may be generated by the security server in step 820 by applying a key derivation function to the key sharing key. The key derivation function may be a suitable cryptographic hash function that generates a symmetric key based on the key sharing key and the salt value received in the request to derive the symmetric key. Exemplary key derivation functions that may be used include PBKDF2, bcrypt, scrypt, etc. After the symmetric key has been generated, in step 825 it may be sent to the requesting application server. As described below, the symmetric key may then be stored in the application server's in-memory cache and used by the application server to encrypt customer data stored by the application server.

[0069] Returning to Figure 4, in step 420, the customer data may be encrypted by the application server using the received symmetric key. The encrypted customer data is protected from access by unauthorized users because ownership of the symmetric key is required to decrypt the customer data. If the customer wishes to retrieve the customer data, the encrypted customer data may be decrypted using the symmetric key, which may be stored in the application server's cache memory or re-derived by the application server having access to the public key, salt value, and key identifier used to derive the symmetric key (e.g., via data structure 650). The decrypted customer data may then be sent to the customer.

[0070] Encrypted customer data may communicate with the application server and be stored in any persistent storage associated with the multi-tenant database environment. Examples of such persistent storage may be cloud-based storage, non-cloud-based storage, or other forms of storage implementation. Different tenants may utilize different persistent storage, which may be easily tracked by the application server using a unique tenant ID associated with one or more symmetric keys for each tenant in data structure 650.

[0071] Compared to conventional data protection schemes, Method 400 has the advantage of not requiring the persistence of private key data on either the application server or the security server (in embodiments where the private key associated with the key identifier is stored in an HSM or other external storage), and improves security by not including the symmetric key if either the application server or the security server is compromised. Conventional systems require the persistence of private keys in cache memory, which can be resource-intensive in a multi-tenant environment, so Method 400 not only improves security by not persisting private keys but also reduces the amount of cache required. Only the public key used to generate the symmetric key is required to regenerate the symmetric key after it has been removed from the cache. In some embodiments, the private key used by the application server to generate the public key may be discarded to save memory resources. Finally, Method 400 represents a use of key sharing that differs from conventional usage. Traditionally, key sharing is generally used to secure communication between two devices, and Method 400 uses key sharing to securely generate a symmetric key and encrypt data from a third-party customer device that is not used to generate the symmetric key. As described above, a symmetric key generated using Method 400 cannot be compromised by a single party, providing a unique advantage for multi-tenant application servers in securing customer data.

[0072] Over time, to provide greater security to encrypted data, it may be good practice for customers to rotate the symmetric keys used to encrypt their data (i.e., to use different symmetric keys to encrypt their data). To do so, the application server may simply send a new request to the security server for a different symmetric key. Requests to rotate symmetric keys for a particular customer may, in various embodiments, be initiated by the customer, by the application server administrator, or automatically by the application server (e.g., after a predetermined period). Figure 9 shows a flowchart of an exemplary process 900 for performing key rotation on an application server according to various embodiments. In step 905, the application server may send a request to rotate symmetric keys, the request to rotate includes a different public key generated by the application server, a different salt value, and a different key identifier associated with a different private key accessible to the private server. To improve security, different elements are used in the requests for rotated symmetric keys because if there are common elements, the rotated symmetric key may also be more likely to be compromised if the current symmetric key is compromised.

[0073] After receiving a request to rotate a symmetric key, the security server may, for example, repeat the symmetric key generation process illustrated by method 800 in Figure 8, using the different components received in the request to rotate the symmetric key. Then, in step 910, a different symmetric key may be sent from the security server to the application server in response to the request to rotate the symmetric key. The different symmetric key may be derived using a key derivation function used to generate the symmetric key, based on a different public key and a different private key associated with a different key identifier.

[0074] Different symmetric keys may be linked to a symmetric key, such as a tenant key data structure, and may also be further stored in the application server's in-memory cache. Figure 10 shows an exemplary data structure 1000 for storing entry 1010 of a rotated symmetric key for a client in a multi-tenant environment, according to various embodiments. Entry 1010 in the tenant key data structure is clearly a rotated symmetric key associated with entry 1005, since tenant ID 1009 matches tenant ID 1007. As described above, the public key 1015, key identifier 1020, and salt value 1025 of the symmetric key associated with entry 1010 are unique to provide enhanced security through the rotated key.

[0075] Once different symmetric keys are cached, in step 915, they may be used by the application server to encrypt data received from one of several customer devices. In certain circumstances, it may be desirable to discard symmetric keys previously used by a customer (e.g., if one of the components used to generate the symmetric key is compromised). This can be achieved by the application server removing the symmetric key from a list of symmetric keys associated with the application server (e.g., the tenant key data structure described above). The list of symmetric keys may be stored on the application server itself or in a database that communicates with the application server and similarly stores encrypted customer data. Figure 11 shows an exemplary data structure 1100 illustrating the destruction of a symmetric key by various embodiments. Data structure 1100 is based on data structure 1000, where the customer symmetric key 1105 associated with tenant IDs 1007 and 1009 has been removed from the list of symmetric keys in data structure 1100. By deleting the public key 1120 and salt value 1125 for the symmetric key associated with entry 1105, there is no record for recreating the symmetric key associated with entry 1105. Without the symmetric key, any customer data encrypted with the symmetric key associated with entry 1105 cannot be decrypted. On-demand service environment

[0076] Figure 12A shows a system diagram 1200 illustrating architectural components of an on-demand service environment in several embodiments. Client machines located in the cloud 1204 (or the internet) may communicate with the on-demand service environment via one or more edge routers 1208 and 1212. The edge routers may communicate with one or more core switches 1220 and 1224 via a firewall 1216. The core switches may communicate with a load balancer 1228, which may distribute the server load to different pods such as pods 1240 and 1244. Pods 1240 and 1244, each containing one or more servers and / or other computing resources, may perform data processing and other operations used to provide on-demand services. Communication with the pods may occur via pod switches 1232 and 1236. Components of the on-demand service environment may communicate with a database storage system 1256 via a database firewall 1248 and a database switch 1252.

[0077] As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, accessing the on-demand service environment may involve communication between various different hardware and / or software components. Furthermore, the on-demand service environment 1200 is a simplified representation of an actual on-demand service environment. For example, although only one or two devices of each type are shown in Figures 12A and 12B, some embodiments of the on-demand service environment may include anywhere from one to many devices of each type. Also, the on-demand service environment does not need to include each device shown in Figures 12A and 12B and may include additional devices not shown in Figures 12A and 12B.

[0078] Furthermore, one or more of the devices in the on-demand service environment 1200 may be implemented using the same physical device or different hardware. Some devices may be implemented using hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Thus, as used herein, terms such as “data processing device,” “machine,” “server,” and “device” are not limited to a single hardware device, but rather include any hardware and software configured to provide the described functions.

[0079] Cloud 1204 is intended to refer to a data network or multiple data networks, often including the Internet. A client machine located in Cloud 1204 may communicate with an on-demand service environment and access services provided by that environment. For example, a client machine may access the on-demand service environment to retrieve, store, edit, and / or process information.

[0080] In some embodiments, edge routers 1208 and 1212 route packets between the cloud 1204 and other components of the on-demand service environment 1200. Edge routers 1208 and 1212 may use BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), which is the core routing protocol of the internet. Edge routers 1208 and 1212 may maintain a table of IP networks or "prefixes" that specify network reachability between autonomous systems on the internet.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, the firewall 1216 may protect internal components of the on-demand service environment 1200 from internet traffic. The firewall 1216 may block, allow, or deny access to internal components of the on-demand service environment 1200 based on a set of rules and other criteria. The firewall 1216 may function as one or more of the following: a packet filter, an application gateway, a stateful filter, a proxy server, or any other type of firewall.

[0082] In some embodiments, core switches 1220 and 1224 are high-capacity switches that forward packets within the on-demand service environment 1200. Core switches 1220 and 1224 may also be configured as network bridges that rapidly route data between different components within the on-demand service environment. In some embodiments, the use of two or more core switches 1220 and 1224 may provide redundancy and / or reduced latency.

[0083] In some embodiments, pods 1240 and 1244 may perform core data processing and service functions provided by the on-demand service environment. Each pod may include various types of hardware and / or software computing resources. An example of a pod architecture is discussed in more detail with reference to Figure 12B.

[0084] In some embodiments, communication between pods 1240 and 1244 may be conducted via pod switches 1232 and 1236. Pod switches 1232 and 1236 may facilitate communication between pods 1240 and 1244 and client machines located in the cloud 1204, for example, via core switches 1220 and 1224. Furthermore, pod switches 1232 and 1236 may facilitate communication between pods 1240 and 1244 and the database storage 1256.

[0085] In some embodiments, the load balancer 1228 may distribute the load between pods 1240 and 1244. Balancing on-demand service requests between pods may help improve resource utilization, increase throughput, reduce response times, and / or lower overhead. The load balancer 1228 may include multi-layer switches for analyzing and forwarding traffic.

[0086] In some embodiments, access to the database storage 1256 may be guarded by a database firewall 1248. The database firewall 1248 may function as a computer application firewall operating at the database application layer of the protocol stack. The database firewall 1248 may protect the database storage 1256 from application attacks such as structural query language (SQL) injection, database rootkits, and unauthorized information disclosure.

[0087] In some embodiments, the database firewall 1248 may include hosts that use one or more forms of reverse proxy services for proxy traffic before passing it to the gateway router. The database firewall 1248 may inspect the content of database traffic and block certain content or database requests. The database firewall 1248 operates on the SQL application level above the TCP / IP stack, managing application connections to the database or SQL management interface, and intercepting and enforcing packets traveling between the database network or application interface.

[0088] In some embodiments, communication with the database storage system 1256 may occur via the database switch 1252. The multitenant database system 1256 may include multiple hardware and / or software components for processing database queries. Thus, the database switch 1252 may direct database queries sent by other components of the on-demand service environment (e.g., pods 1240 and 1244) to the correct component within the database storage system 1256. In some embodiments, the database storage system 856 is an on-demand database system shared by many different organizations. The on-demand database system may employ a multitenant approach, a virtualization approach, or any other type of database approach. The on-demand database system will be discussed in more detail with reference to Figures 13 and 14.

[0089] Figure 13 shows a system diagram illustrating the architecture of pod 1244 in several embodiments. Pod 1244 may be used to provide services to users of the on-demand service environment 1200. In some embodiments, each pod may include various services and / or other systems. Pod 1244 includes one or more content batch servers 1264, a content search server 1268, a query server 1272, a file force server 1276, an access control system (ACS) server 1280, a batch server 1284, and an App server 1288. Pod 1244 also includes a database instance 1290, a quick file system (QFS) 1292, and an indexer 1294. In one or more embodiments, some or all of the communication between servers within pod 1244 may be transmitted via switch 1236.

[0090] In some embodiments, the application server 1288 may include a hardware and / or software framework dedicated to executing procedures (e.g., programs, routines, scripts) for supporting the construction of applications provided by the on-demand service environment 1200 via the pod 1244. Some such procedures may include operations for providing the services described herein. The content batch server 1264 may make requests directed within the pod. These requests may operate over a long period and / or not be tied to a particular customer. For example, the content batch server 1264 may handle requests related to log mining, cleanup work, and maintenance tasks.

[0091] The content search server 1268 may provide query and indexer functions. For example, the functions provided by the content search server 1268 may enable users to search through content stored in the on-demand service environment. The file force server 1276 may manage request information stored in the file force storage 1278. The file force storage 1278 may store documents, images, BLOBs (basic large objects), etc. By using the file force server 1276 to manage information requests, the image footprint on the database can be reduced.

[0092] The query server 1272 may be used to retrieve information from one or more file systems. For example, the query system 1272 may receive an information request from the App server 1288 and then send the information query to an NFS 1296 located outside the pod. The pod 1244 may share a database instance 1290 configured as a multi-tenant environment where different organizations share access to the same database. Additionally, the services provided by the pod 1244 may require various hardware and / or software resources. In some embodiments, the ACS server 1280 may control access to data, hardware resources, or software resources.

[0093] In some embodiments, batch server 1284 may process batch jobs used to run tasks at specified times. Therefore, batch server 1284 may send commands to other servers, such as app server 1288, to trigger batch jobs. In some embodiments, QFS 1292 may be an open-source file system available from Sun Microsystems® of Santa Clara, California. QFS may function as a high-speed access file system for storing and accessing information available within pod 1244. QFS 1292 may support several volume management features, enabling the consolidation of many disks into a file system. File system metadata can be stored on separate sets of disks, which can be useful for streaming applications where long disk seeks are unacceptable. Therefore, the QFS system may communicate with one or more content retrieval servers 1268 and / or indexers 1294 to identify, retrieve, move, and / or update data stored in network file system 1296 and / or other storage systems.

[0094] In some embodiments, one or more query servers 1272 may communicate with NFS 1296 to retrieve and / or update information stored outside pod 1244. NFS 1296 may enable servers located in pod 1244 to access information for accessing files over the network in a manner similar to how local storage is accessed. In some embodiments, queries from query server 1222 may be sent to NFS 1296 via load balancer 1220, which may distribute resource requests across various resources available in an on-demand service environment. NFS 1296 may also communicate with QFS 1292 to update information stored in NFS 1296 and / or provide information to QFS 1292 for use by servers located within pod 1244.

[0095] In some embodiments, a pod may include one or more database instances 1290. Database instances 1290 may send information to QFS 1292. When the information is sent to QFS, it may be available for use by servers in pod 1244 without requiring additional database calls. In some embodiments, the database information may be sent to an indexer 1294. The indexer 1294 may provide an index of the information available in database 1290 and / or QFS 1292. The index information may be provided to the file force server 1276 and / or QFS 1292.

[0096] Figure 13 shows a block diagram of an environment 1310 in which an on-demand database service may be used, according to several embodiments. Environment 1310 includes an on-demand database service 1316. User system 1312 may be any machine or system used by a user to access the database user system. For example, any of user systems 1312 may be a handheld computing system, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a workstation, and / or a network of computing systems. As illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, user system 1312 may interact with the on-demand database service 1316 via a network 1314.

[0097] An on-demand database service, such as System 1316, is a database system made available to external users, which does not necessarily need to be involved in the construction and / or maintenance of a database system, but instead may be available for use when users need a database system (e.g., at user request). Some on-demand database services may form a multi-tenant database system (MTS) by storing information from one or more tenants stored in tables of a common database image. Thus, "On-Demand Database Service 1316" and "System 1316" are used interchangeably herein. The database image may contain one or more database objects. A relational database management system (RDBMS) or its equivalent may perform the storage and retrieval of information for the database objects. The application platform 1318 may be a framework, such as an operating system, that enables applications of System 1316 to operate hardware, software, etc. In one implementation, On-Demand Database Service 1316 may include an application platform 1318 that enables the creation, management, and execution of one or more applications developed by the provider of the on-demand database service, users accessing the on-demand database service via User System 1312, or third-party application developers accessing the on-demand database service via User System 1312.

[0098] Figure 13 shows one arrangement for the elements of system 1316, which includes a network interface 1320, an application platform 1318, tenant data storage 1322 for tenant data 1323, system data storage 1324 for system data 1325 accessible by system 1316 and possibly multiple tenants, program code 1326 for implementing various functions of system 1316, and a process space 1328 for running MTS system processes and tenant-specific processes such as running applications as part of an application hosting service. Further processes that may run on system 1316 include a database indexing process.

[0099] Users of user system 1312 may have different capacities, and the capacity of a particular user system 1312 may be entirely determined by the permissions (permission level) granted to the current user. For example, if a call center agent uses a particular user system 1312 to interact with system 1316, user system 1312 has the capacity allocated to that call center agent. However, an administrator uses a user system to interact with system 1316, but that user system has the capabilities allocated to that administrator. In a system with a hierarchical role model, a user at one permission level may have access to applications, data, and database information that is accessible to users at lower permission levels, but may not have access to certain applications, database information, and data that are accessible to users at higher permission levels. Therefore, different users may have different capabilities regarding access to and modification of applications and database information, depending on their security or permission level.

[0100] Network 1314 is a network or combination thereof of devices communicating with each other. For example, network 1314 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 any other appropriate configuration. The most common type of computer network currently in use is the TCP / IP (Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) network (e.g., the Internet), and therefore that network will be used in much of this specification. However, while TCP / IP is a frequently implemented protocol, it should be understood that the networks used in some embodiments are not limited to it.

[0101] User system 1312 communicates with system 1316 using TCP / IP and may communicate at higher network levels using other common internet protocols such as HTTP, FTP, AFS, and WAP. In an example where HTTP is used, user system 1312 may include an HTTP client, commonly referred to as a “browser,” to send and receive HTTP messages to and from an HTTP server in system 1316. Such an HTTP server may be implemented as the sole network interface between system 1316 and network 1314, but other technologies may be used similarly or instead. In some embodiments, the interface between system 1316 and network 1314 includes load-sharing features, such as a round-robin HTTP request distributor, to balance the load and evenly distribute incoming HTTP requests across multiple servers. Each of the multiple servers may have access to MTS data, as well as users accessing that server, but other configurations may be used instead.

[0102] In some embodiments, the system 1316 shown in Figure 13 implements a web-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. For example, in some embodiments, system 1316 includes an application server configured to implement and run CRM software applications, provide relevant data, codes, forms, web pages, and other information to and from the user system 1312, and store and retrieve relevant data, objects, and web page content to and from a database system. In a multi-tenant system, data for multiple tenants may be stored in the same physical database object, but tenant data is typically arranged such that data for one tenant is logically separated from data for other tenants, unless such data is explicitly shared, and one tenant does not have access to data for other tenants. In certain embodiments, system 1316 implements applications other than the CRM application, or applications in addition to the CRM application. For example, system 1316 may provide tenant access to multiple hosted (standard and custom) applications. User (or third-party developer) applications may or may not include a CRM and may be supported by application platform 1318, which manages the creation of the application, its storage in one or more database objects, and its execution in a virtual machine within the process space of system 1316.

[0103] Each user system 1312 may include a desktop personal computer, workstation, laptop, PDA, mobile phone, or any device capable of using a wireless access protocol (WAP), or any other computing system capable of directly or indirectly interfaceing with the Internet or other network connections. User systems 1312 typically run browser programs such as HTTP clients, e.g., Microsoft's Internet Explorer® browser, Mozilla's Firefox® browser, Opera's browser, or WAP-enabled browsers in the case of mobile phones, PDAs, or other wireless devices, enabling users of user systems 1312 (e.g., subscribers to a multitenant database system) to access, process, and browse information, pages, and applications available to them from system 1316 via network 1314.

[0104] Each user system 1312 also typically includes one or more user interface devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, touchscreen, or pen, for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by a browser on a display (e.g., a monitor screen, LCD display) in conjunction with pages, forms, applications, and other information provided by system 1316 or other systems or servers. For example, the user interface devices may be used to access data and applications hosted by system 1316, perform retrievals of stored data, or otherwise enable a user to interact with various GUI pages that may be presented to that one or more users. As discussed above, the embodiments are preferred for use with the Internet, which refers to a specific global internetwork of the network. However, it should be understood that other networks, such as intranets, extranets, virtual private networks (VPNs), non-TCP / IP based networks, and any LAN or WAN, may be used instead of the Internet.

[0105] According to some embodiments, each user system 1312 and all of its components can be operator-configured using an application such as a browser, which includes computer code running on a central processing unit such as an Intel Pentium® processor. Similarly, system 1316 (and any additional instances of MTS) and all of their components can be operator-configured using an application which includes a central processing unit such as a processor system 1317, which may include an Intel Pentium® processor, and / or computer code running on multiple processor units.

[0106] An implementation of a computer program product includes a machine-readable storage medium (may include multiple) on which instructions are stored, and the instructions may be used to program a computer to perform any of the processes of the embodiments described herein. The computer code for operating and configuring system 1316 to communicate with and process the web pages, applications, and other data and media content described herein is preferably downloaded and stored on a hard disk, but the whole or a portion thereof may also be stored on any other volatile or non-volatile memory medium or device such as ROM, RAM, or provided on any medium capable of storing program code, such as any type of rotating medium including floppy disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), compact disks (CDs), microdrives, and magneto-optical disks, magnetic cards or optical cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs), or any type of medium or device suitable for storing instructions and / or data. Additionally, the entire program code or any part thereof may be transmitted and downloaded from the software source or from another server via a transmission medium, for example, over the Internet, or transmitted over any other conventional network connection (e.g., extranet, VPN, LAN, etc.) using a communication medium and protocol (e.g., TCP / IP, HTTP, HTTPS, Ethernet, etc.). Furthermore, it will be understood that the computer code for implementing the embodiment may be in any programming language executable on the client system and / or server or server system, such as C, C++, HTML, any other markup language, any other scripting language such as Java®, JavaScript®, ActiveX®, VBScript, and many other well-known programming languages. (Java® is a trademark of Sun Microsystems®, Inc.)

[0107] According to some embodiments, each system 1316 is configured to provide web pages, forms, applications, data, and media content to a user (client) system 1312 in order to support access by the user system 1312 as a tenant of system 1316. Thus, system 1316 provides a security mechanism that keeps the data of each tenant isolated, unless the data is shared. When multiple MTSs are used, they may be located in close proximity to each other (e.g., a server farm located in a single building or campus) or in locations far apart from each other (e.g., one or more servers located in City A and one or more servers located in City B). As used herein, each MTS may include logically and / or physically connected servers distributed locally or in one or more geographical locations. Additionally, the term “server” means a computing system well known in the art, including processing hardware and process space, as well as associated storage systems and database applications (e.g., OODBMS or RDBMS).

[0108] Furthermore, it should be understood that "server system" and "server" are often used interchangeably in this specification. Similarly, database objects described herein may be implemented as a single database, a distributed database, a collection of distributed databases, a database with online or offline redundant backups or other redundancy, and may include a distributed database or storage network and associated processing intelligence.

[0109] Figure 14 also shows a block diagram of environment 1310 that further illustrates system 1316 and various interconnections according to several embodiments. Figure 14 shows that the user system 1312 may include a processor system 1312A, a memory system 1312B, an input system 1312C, and an output system 1312D. Figure 14 shows the network 1314 and system 1316. Figure 14 also shows that system 1316 may include tenant data storage 1322, tenant data 1323, system data storage 1324, system data 1325, user interface (UI) 1430, application program interface (API) 1432, PL / SOQL 1434, save routine 1436, application setup mechanism 1438, application servers 14001-1400N, system process space 1402, tenant process space 1404, tenant management process space 1410, tenant storage area 1412, user storage 1414, and application metadata 1416. In other embodiments, environment 1310 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.

[0110] The user system 1312, network 1314, system 1316, tenant data storage 1322, and system data storage 1324 are shown in Figure 13 and discussed above. With respect to the user system 1312, the processor system 1312A may be any combination of processors. The memory system 1312B may be any combination of one or more memory devices, short-term memory, and / or long-term memory. The input system 1312C may be any combination of input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, scanner, camera, and / or interface to a network. The output system 1312D may be any combination of output devices such as a monitor, printer, and interface to a network. As shown in Figure 14, system 1316 may include the network interface 1320 (in Figure 13), application platform 1318, tenant data storage 1322, and system data storage 1324, which are implemented as a set of HTTP application servers 1400. The system process space 1402 also includes individual tenant process spaces 1404 and a tenant management process space 1410. Each application server 1400 may be configured to respond to requests from user systems 1312, with data storage 1322 and tenant data 1323 within it, as well as system data storage 1324 and system data 1325 within it. Tenant data 1323 may be divided into individual tenant storage areas 1412, which may be either physical and / or logical locations of the data. Within each tenant storage area 1412, user storage 1414 and application metadata 1416 may be similarly allocated to each user. For example, a copy of a user's last used (MRU) item may be stored in user storage 1414. Similarly, a copy of MRU items for the entire organization that is a tenant may be stored in the tenant storage area 1412.UI1430 provides a user interface, and API1432 provides an application programmer interface to the system resident process 1316 for users and / or developers of user system 1312. Tenant data and system data may be stored in various databases, such as Oracle® databases.

[0111] The application platform 1318 includes an application setup mechanism 1438 that supports application developers in creating and managing applications, which may be stored as metadata in tenant data storage 1322 by a save routine 1436 for subscribers to run as a tenant process space 1404 managed by a tenant management process 1410, for example. Calls to such applications may be coded using PL / SOQL 34, which provides a programming language style interface extension to API 1432. A detailed description of several embodiments of the PL / SOQL language is discussed in U.S. Patent No. 7,730,478, filed September 21, 2007, by Craig Weissman, entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ALLOWING ACCESS TO DEVELOPED APPLICATIONS VIA A MULTI-TENANT ON-DEMAND DATABASE SERVICE," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Application invocations may also be detected by a system process that manages the acquisition of application metadata 1416 for subscribers to make invocations and the execution of the metadata as an application within a virtual machine.

[0112] Each application server 1400 may be communicatively coupled to the database system via different network connections, for example, to have access to system data 1325 and tenant data 1323. For example, one application server 14001 may be coupled via network 1314 (e.g., the Internet), another application server 1400N-1 may be coupled via a direct network link, and yet another application server 1400N may be coupled via yet another different network connection. TCP / IP (Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) is a typical protocol for communication between the application servers 1400 and the database system. However, other transport protocols may be used to optimize the system depending on the network interconnections used.

[0113] In certain embodiments, each application server 1400 is configured to handle requests for any user associated with any organization that is a tenant. Since it is desirable for application servers to be added to and removed from the server pool at any given time for any reason, it is preferable that there is no server affinity for a particular application server 1400 to a user and / or organization. Therefore, in some embodiments, an interface system implementing load balancing functionality (e.g., an F5 Big IP load balancer) is coupled communicably between the application server 1400 and the user system 1312 to distribute requests to the application server 1400. In some embodiments, the load balancer uses a least connection algorithm to route user requests to the application server 1400. Other examples of load balancing algorithms, such as round-robin and observed response time, may also be used. For example, in certain embodiments, three consecutive requests from the same user may hit three different application servers 1400, and three requests from different users may be set to the same application server 1400. In this configuration, system 1316 is multitenant and handles the storage and access to different objects, data, and applications across entirely different users and organizations.

[0114] As an example of storage, one tenant might be a company that employs sales personnel, and each call center agent uses system 1316 to manage their sales processes. Therefore, users may all maintain contact data, lead data, customer follow-up data, performance data, goals, progress data, etc. (for example, in tenant data storage 1322) that are applicable to their personal sales processes. In this example of an MTS deployment, all data and applications for accessing, viewing, modifying, reporting, sending, calculating, etc., are maintained and accessible by user systems that have nothing more than network access, so users can manage their sales efforts and cycles from any of many different user systems. For example, if a call center agent is visiting a customer and the customer has internet access in the lobby, the call center agent can get important updates about that customer while waiting for the customer to arrive in the lobby.

[0115] Each user's data may be isolated from other users' data, regardless of their employer, but some data may be organization-wide data shared or accessible by multiple users or all users within a given organization that is a tenant. Therefore, some data structures managed by System 1316 may be allocated at the tenant level, while others may be managed at the user level. Because the MTS may support multiple tenants, potentially including some competitors, the MTS should have security protocols that keep data, applications, and application usage separate. Also, because many tenants may choose to access the MTS rather than maintain their own systems, redundancy, uptime, and backups are additional features that may be implemented in the MTS. System 1316 may also maintain system-level data accessible by multiple tenants or other data, in addition to user-specific and tenant-specific data. Such system-level data may include industry reports, news, and posts that can be shared among tenants.

[0116] In certain embodiments, a user system 1312 (which may be a client machine / system) communicates with an application server 1400 to request and update system-level and tenant-level data from a system 1316 that needs to send one or more queries to tenant data storage 1322 and / or system data storage 1324. System 1316 (for example, the application server 1400 of system 1316) automatically generates one or more SQL statements (e.g., SQL queries) designed to access the desired information. System data storage 1324 may generate a query plan to access the requested data from the database.

[0117] Each database can generally be viewed as a collection of objects, such as a set of logical tables containing data that fits into predefined categories. “Table” is one representation of a data object and may be used herein to simplify the conceptual description of objects and custom objects in some embodiments. “Table” and “object” should be understood to be interchangeable herein. Each table contains one or more data categories logically arranged as columns or fields within a visible schema. Each row or record in a table contains an instance of data for each category defined by its fields. For example, a CRM database might include a table listing customers with fields for basic contact information such as name, address, phone number, and fax number. Another table might list orders with fields for information such as customer, product, sales price, and date. Some multi-tenant database systems may provide standard entity tables for use by all tenants. For a CRM database application, such standard entities might include tables for account, contact, lead, and opportunity data, each containing predefined fields. The term "entity" may also be used interchangeably with "object" and "table" in this specification.

[0118] In some multi-tenant database systems, tenants may be able to create and store custom objects, or customize standard entities or objects by creating custom fields for standard objects, for example, including custom index fields. U.S. Patent No. 7,779,039, entitled "CUSTOM ENTITIES AND FIELDS IN A MULTI-TENANT DATABASE SYSTEM" by Weissman et al., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, teaches a system and method for creating custom objects and customizing standard objects in a multi-tenant database system for any purpose. In some 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. In some embodiments, multiple “tables” for a single customer may actually be stored in one large table and / or the same table as the data for other customers.

[0119] These and other aspects of the Disclosure may be implemented by various types of hardware, software, firmware, etc. For example, some features of the Disclosure may be implemented, at least in part, by machine-readable media containing program instructions, state information, etc., for performing various operations described herein. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as that generated by a compiler, and files containing high-level code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter. Examples of machine-readable media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROM disks, magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as read-only memory devices ("ROM") and random access memory ("RAM").

[0120] One or more embodiments and technologies are described with reference to implementations implemented in a system in which a service cloud console has an application server that provides a front-end for an on-demand database service capable of supporting multiple tenants, but one or more embodiments and technologies are not limited to multi-tenant databases or deployments on an application server. Embodiments may be implemented using other database architectures, namely Oracle®, IBM's DB2®, etc., without departing from the scope of the embodiments described in the claims.

[0121] Any of the embodiments described above may be used individually or in any combination with each other. Various embodiments may be motivated by various defects of the prior art that may be discussed or implied in one or more places of the specification, but the embodiments do not necessarily address any of these defects. In other words, different embodiments may address different defects that may be discussed herein. Some embodiments may partially address some or just one of the defects that may be discussed herein, and some embodiments may not address any of these defects.

[0122] While various embodiments are described herein, they should be understood as examples only and not as limiting. Therefore, the scope and breadth of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the embodiments described herein, but should be defined solely in accordance with the claims and their equivalents described below. This specification also discloses the following: (Note 1) A computer implementation method for securing client data using a security server, The security server receives a request from the application server to derive a symmetric key, the request including a public key, a salt value, and a key identifier associated with the private key. The security server derives the symmetric key using a key derivation function based on the public key received and the private key associated with the key identifier. The application server retrieves the private key associated with the key identifier from a storage location that it cannot access, Applying a key sharing protocol to the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier, wherein the key sharing protocol outputs and applies a key sharing key. Applying the key derivation function to the shared key to generate the symmetric key, A method comprising transmitting the derived symmetric key by the security server to the requesting application server, wherein the symmetric key is subsequently stored in the application server's memory cache and used by the application server to encrypt customer data. (Note 2) The security server, as described in Appendix 1, stores a list of asymmetric key pairs for multiple tenants, each asymmetric key pair includes a public key and a private key, and each private key is associated with a corresponding key identifier. (Note 3) The method according to Appendix 1, further comprising the security server deleting the derived symmetric key after it has been sent to the requesting application server. (Note 4) The method according to Appendix 1, wherein both the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier correspond to different points on the elliptic curve. (Note 5) The key sharing protocol for generating the key sharing key is the method described in Appendix 1, which is based on an elliptic curve common to both the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier. (Note 6) The aforementioned key exchange protocol is the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, as described in Appendix 1. (Note 7) The method according to Appendix 1, wherein the private key is obtained from a key management service that communicates with the security server, and the key management service stores a plurality of private keys that the security server can access. (Note 8) A device for securing customer data, One or more processors of the security server, A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing multiple instructions, wherein when the multiple instructions are executed, one or more processors, Receiving a request from an application server to derive a symmetric key, wherein the request includes a public key, a salt value, and a key identifier associated with the private key. The process involves deriving the symmetric key using a key derivation function based on the received public key and the private key associated with the key identifier, The application server retrieves the private key associated with the key identifier from a storage location that it cannot access, Applying a key sharing protocol to the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier, wherein the key sharing protocol outputs and applies a key sharing key. The process involves applying the key derivation function to the shared key to generate the symmetric key, and deriving the key. A device that causes the derived symmetric key to be transmitted to the requesting application server, wherein the symmetric key is stored in the application server's memory cache and used by the application server to encrypt customer data. (Note 9) The apparatus as described in Appendix 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further includes instructions causing one or more processors to store a list of asymmetric keys for a plurality of tenants, each asymmetric key pair including a public key and a private key, and each private key associated with a corresponding key identifier. (Note 10) The apparatus according to Appendix 8, wherein the plurality of instructions further include an instruction to one or more processors to send the derived symmetric key to the requesting application server, and then have the security server delete the derived symmetric key. (Note 11) The apparatus described in Appendix 8, wherein both the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier correspond to different points on an elliptic curve. (Note 12) The key sharing protocol for generating the key sharing key is based on an elliptic curve common to both the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier, as described in Appendix 8. (Note 13) The aforementioned key exchange protocol is Diffie-Hellman key exchange, as described in Appendix 8. (Note 14) The device described in Appendix 8, wherein the aforementioned private key is obtained from a key management service that stores multiple private keys accessible to the security server. (Note 15) A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code that is executed by one or more processors when obtained from a non-temporary computer-readable medium, wherein the program code is: Receiving a request from an application server to derive a symmetric key, wherein the request includes a public key, a salt value, and a key identifier associated with the private key. The process involves deriving the symmetric key using a key derivation function based on the received public key and private key, The application server obtains the private key from a storage location that it cannot access, Applying a key sharing protocol to the received public key and the obtained private key using a common elliptic curve for both the received public key and the obtained private key, wherein the key sharing protocol outputs and applies the key sharing key. The process involves applying the key derivation function to the shared key to generate the symmetric key, and deriving the key. A computer program product comprising an instruction to transmit the derived symmetric key to the requesting application server, wherein the symmetric key is stored in the application server's memory cache and used by the application server to encrypt customer data. (Note 16) The computer program product as described in Appendix 15, further comprising instructions for storing a list of asymmetric keys for multiple tenants, wherein the application server is associated with one of the multiple tenants, and each symmetric key in the list is associated with a public key accessible to the tenant and a private key accessible to the security server but not accessible to the multiple tenants. (Note 17) The computer program product described in Appendix 15 further includes an instruction to delete the derived symmetric key after sending the derived symmetric key to the requesting application server. (Note 18) The key sharing protocol for generating the key sharing key is a computer program product as described in Appendix 15, which is based on an elliptic curve common to both the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier. (Note 19) The aforementioned key exchange protocol is the Diffie-Hellman key exchange, as described in Appendix 15 of the computer program product. (Note 20) The computer program product described in Appendix 15, wherein the private key is obtained from a key management service that communicates with the security server, and the key server includes a hardware security module (HSM) that stores a plurality of private keys linked to a plurality of public keys provided to the security server.

Claims

1. A computer implementation method for securing customer data using a security server, The security server receives a request from the application server to derive a symmetric key, the request including a public key, a salt value, and a key identifier associated with the private key. The security server derives the symmetric key using a key derivation function based on the public key received and the private key associated with the key identifier, The application server retrieves the private key associated with the key identifier from a storage location that it cannot access, Applying a key sharing protocol to the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier, wherein the key sharing protocol outputs and applies a key sharing key. Derivation includes applying the key derivation function to the key-shared key to generate the symmetric key, A method comprising transmitting the derived symmetric key by the security server to the requesting application server, wherein the symmetric key is subsequently stored in the application server's memory cache and used by the application server to encrypt customer data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the security server stores a list of asymmetric key pairs for multiple tenants, each asymmetric key pair includes a public key and a private key, and each private key is associated with a corresponding key identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the security server deleting the derived symmetric key after it has been transmitted to the requesting application server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein both the public key and the private key associated with the key identifier correspond to different points on an elliptic curve.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the key sharing protocol for generating the key sharing key is based on an elliptic curve common to both the received public key and the private key obtained in association with the key identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the key sharing protocol is Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the private key is obtained from a key management service that communicates with the security server, and the key management service stores a plurality of private keys that the security server can access.

8. A device for securing customer data, One or more processors of the security server, A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of instructions, wherein when the plurality of instructions are executed, the apparatus causes one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer program comprising computer-readable program code that is executed by one or more processors when acquired from a non-temporary computer-readable medium, wherein the program code causes the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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