Tenant-Specific Namespace Mechanism for Multi-Tenant Database Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-tenant database systems, deploying new or modified objects without extensive testing across all tenants can lead to unintended consequences, hindering efficient management and increasing costs due to the need for separate development and testing systems for each tenant.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a tenant-specific namespace mechanism within the multi-tenant database system, where each object is deployed with a unique namespace specific to each tenant, allowing for efficient deployment and testing of different versions of objects and applications across tenants, thereby avoiding collisions and unintended consequences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If objects are deployed system-wide to all tenants, then system-wide visibility and shared resource utilization are improved, but the risk of unintended consequences and conflicts between tenants increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the namespace into tenant-specific portions by introducing a tenant identifier that prefixes object names in the shared database. Each tenant's objects are stored with unique identifiers (e.g., '100_salesorder', '200_salesorder') that segment the shared namespace into isolated tenant domains, allowing system-wide visibility while preventing unintended cross-tenant consequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a namespace management intermediary layer that sits between the object deployment system and the shared database. This intermediary automatically prefixes object names with tenant identifiers and manages the mapping between logical object names and physical storage locations, mediating between system-wide deployment needs and tenant isolation requirements.
2Reliability
If extensive testing is performed for each tenant during development, then the reliability and stability of deployed objects are improved, but the time and cost of deployment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables copying of objects between tenants through the standardized namespace mechanism. Once an object is developed and tested with one tenant, it can be copied to other tenants with automatically adjusted tenant identifiers, eliminating the need for extensive re-testing across all tenants while maintaining reliability through the consistent namespace structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal namespace structure that works across all tenants, allowing objects to be deployed system-wide with automatic tenant-specific scoping. This universal approach enables a single development and testing cycle to serve multiple tenants, as the same object can be instantiated for different tenants with appropriate identifier modifications.
3Reliability
If separate development and testing systems are maintained for each tenant, then tenant-specific control and isolation are improved, but the complexity and cost of system management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple tenant-specific namespaces into a single shared database structure. Instead of maintaining separate development and testing systems for each tenant, the system combines all tenant objects into one database with tenant identifiers embedded in the namespace, reducing system complexity while maintaining tenant isolation through the unified naming convention.
Data Source
AI summary
An identifier associated with a first tenant and an object for deployment into the first tenant is received. The first tenant forms part of a multitenant database system including the first tenant and a second tenant. The application includes objects in a first name space. The object is for use by an application forming part of the multitenant database system. A second namespace unique to the first tenant is determined using the identifier of the first tenant. An object in the second namespace is generated corresponding to the object in the first namespace. The generating includes mapping the object in the first namespace to the second namespace. The object is deployed in the second namespace to the first tenant. The deploying includes persisting the object in the second namespace to a tenant system forming part of the multitenant database system. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.