Multi-tenant Database Row Visibility Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional multi-tenant systems face challenges in managing access and modification of shared data, leading to increased costs and resource consumption due to the need for redundant data copies and unsupported data structure changes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a database system with a shared database schema and tenant-specific database schemas, using a tenant specification field and row visibility field to control access, allowing tenants to view and modify shared data while preventing unauthorized access through row-level content separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional multi-tenant systems store shared data separately for each tenant, then data access and modification are simplified, but computing resources are wasted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data access control to the row level within shared tables. Each row in the shared table has a tenant specification field and a row visibility field with hidebits for each tenant, enabling fine-grained control over which tenants can access which rows. This allows shared data to be stored once while maintaining tenant-specific access control, resolving the contradiction between simplified access and resource efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the row visibility field with hidebits) that mediates between the shared data storage and tenant-specific access requirements. This intermediary layer enables efficient shared storage while maintaining the illusion of tenant-specific data isolation, eliminating the need for redundant data copies.
2Reliability
If traditional multi-tenant systems create redundant data copies for each tenant, then data privacy and security are improved, but data structure changes are unsupported and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data structure into shared tables with tenant specification fields and row visibility fields. This segmentation allows a single shared table to serve multiple tenants with different access rights, eliminating the need for separate data copies for each tenant while maintaining data privacy through row-level control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared table structure serves multiple functions: it stores data that is shared across tenants, maintains tenant-specific access control through hidebits, and supports data structure changes for all tenants simultaneously. This universal structure eliminates the complexity of maintaining separate data copies while preserving security and privacy.
3Loss of energy
If a single shared table is used for all tenants, then resource efficiency is improved, but unauthorized access between tenants may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality control at the row level within the shared table. Each row has its own tenant specification field and row visibility field with tenant-specific hidebits, enabling different access permissions for different rows. This local-level control prevents unauthorized access while maintaining efficient shared storage, as each tenant can only access rows where their hidebit is not set.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations include providing a database system that a plurality of tenant systems interact with, providing a shared database schema and a plurality of tenant database schemas, the shared database schema including a shared table, and each tenant database schema being assigned to a respective tenant and including a view into the shared table, which includes a tenant specification field, and a row visibility field, the tenant specification field indicating a tenant, to which a respective row is assigned, and the row visibility field indicating visibility of a respective row to respective tenants.