Multi-Tenant Database Data Sharing via Polymorphic Platform Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-tenant cloud-based database systems, sharing data items between tenant domains is challenging as existing solutions often require storing duplicate copies of data, which wastes resources and complicates data management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a platform object with polymorphic lookup capabilities that can map to multiple tenant domains, allowing user access to data items not stored in their tenant domain by linking tenant-specific objects to a platform object, enabling secure and efficient sharing of data across domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data items are shared between tenant domains by storing duplicate copies, then data accessibility across tenants is improved, but system resource consumption and data management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sharing mechanism as an intermediary layer between tenant domains that enables data access without physical duplication. The mechanism uses virtualization and reference counting to allow multiple tenants to access the same data item through their respective tenant domains, eliminating the need to store duplicate copies while maintaining data accessibility across domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a virtual copy mechanism where data items can be referenced across tenant domains without creating actual physical copies. The system maintains a single master copy of the data item and creates virtual references that allow tenants to access and interact with the data as if they had local copies, thereby saving storage resources while preserving accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If data items are shared between tenant domains by storing duplicate copies, then data accessibility across tenants is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sharing mechanism acts as an intermediary that abstracts away the complexity of cross-tenant data management. It automatically handles data synchronization, version control, and access coordination between tenants, eliminating the need for manual management of duplicate copies and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal data sharing infrastructure that can handle multiple tenant domains and various data types through a single mechanism. This multi-functional system provides consistent data access and management capabilities across different tenants, reducing the need for tenant-specific implementations and simplifying overall data management.
3Reliability
If tenant data isolation is maintained, then data security is improved, but data sharing capabilities between tenants deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sharing mechanism serves as a secure intermediary that mediates all data access requests between tenants. It enforces access control policies, validates tenant permissions, and manages data flow between isolated tenant domains, thereby maintaining security boundaries while enabling controlled data sharing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data access architecture into isolated tenant domains while introducing a separate sharing mechanism layer. This segmentation maintains the security isolation of individual tenant data spaces while allowing the sharing layer to coordinate secure access between domains, thus preserving both security and sharing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing access to a data item in a multi-tenant database system is disclosed. The method comprises storing a data item as a first data object in a first tenant domain in the database system wherein the data item comprises a knowledge-based item and the first data object has a first data object identifier (ID). The method further comprises generating a platform object with polymorphic lookup, storing database ID information for the data item in the platform object, the database ID information for the data item including the first data object ID, providing a first entity in a second tenant domain with access to the data item by linking the platform object to a first tenant-specific object accessible by the first entity, and providing for display in a user interface a link that is mapped to the data item via the platform object and the first tenant-specific object.