Cross-Organizational BI Metrics Processing via Intermediate Table Abstraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cross-organizational processing techniques in multi-tenant database systems face challenges in scalability and security, particularly in handling large volumes of data and protecting sensitive information, leading to inefficient processing and potential security risks.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that schedules and processes business intelligence metrics in an intermediate table, abstracted from underlying records, allowing users to query metrics without direct access to sensitive data, using an API that aggregates and abstracts data, and optimizing resource management through backend processing during off-peak times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional cross-organizational processing techniques are used to query data across multiple tenants, then data accessibility and business intelligence capabilities are improved, but data security and privacy protection deteriorate due to direct access to sensitive underlying records

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoiddata security risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediate table as a mediator layer between users and the underlying multi-tenant database. This intermediate table contains aggregated and abstracted metrics data that allows cross-organizational querying without exposing sensitive underlying records. The intermediate table acts as a buffer that enables business intelligence operations while maintaining data security boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the data access architecture into distinct layers: the underlying database layer containing sensitive tenant-specific data, an intermediate layer with aggregated metrics, and the user query layer. This segmentation allows users to access business intelligence metrics without directly querying the underlying sensitive data, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If cross-organizational processing is implemented to enable comprehensive business intelligence metrics, then analytical capabilities are improved, but computational burden and processing time worsen due to the volume of data that must be processed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebusiness intelligence capabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-computing and storing aggregated metrics in the intermediate table before they are needed for querying. Instead of computing metrics on-demand from raw data during query execution, the system performs aggregation operations in advance, significantly reducing query response time while maintaining comprehensive business intelligence capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a copy of the essential data characteristics in an abstracted form within the intermediate table. Rather than repeatedly accessing and processing the full volume of underlying tenant data for each query, the system uses copied aggregated metrics that replicate the necessary informational content in a condensed, efficiently queryable format.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Speed

If real-time processing is maintained to ensure system responsiveness, then user experience is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates due to the perpetual processing burden from incoming and pending processing demands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem responsivenessVSAvoidcomputational resource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by scheduling metric aggregation operations at specific intervals rather than continuously processing all incoming data in real-time. The system periodically updates the intermediate table with fresh aggregated metrics, balancing system responsiveness with resource conservation by avoiding constant full-data processing while still providing timely business intelligence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10460270B2Systems, methods, and apparatuses for implementing cross-organizational processing of business intelligence metrics

Publication Date: 2019.10.29 SALESFORCE INC

AI summary

In accordance with disclosed embodiments, there are provided methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing cross-organizational processing of business intelligence metrics including, for example, means for scheduling a time for metrics collection from databases of a host organization; generating one or more messages and associated parameters to implement the metrics collection at the host organization; enqueuing the one or more messages and associated parameters for processing by the host organization; dequeuing the one or more messages and associated parameters into the host organization for processing, wherein the processing is to output the metrics collection into an intermediate table; capturing the metrics collection output via the processing at the intermediate table; and exposing the intermediate table to metrics queries. Other related embodiments are disclosed.