Patent ID: 7933869
Filing Date: 2011-04-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for copying a tenant database in a provider-tenant system where a provider communicates with a plurality of tenants over a network, the method comprising: storing a plurality of data structures at the provider; selecting a tenant from the plurality of tenants, the provider hosting application software used by the plurality of tenants; generating a tenant-specific designation to identify a data structure of the plurality of data structures as being specific to the selected tenant, and generating a shared designation to identify a data structure of the plurality of data structures as being common to the plurality of tenants; determining which of the plurality of data structures are specific to the selected tenant and which of the plurality of data structures are common to the plurality of tenants based on attributes of the plurality of data structures; appending the tenant-specific designation to tenant-specific data structures determined as being specific to the selected tenant, and appending the shared designation to shared data structures determined as being common to the plurality of tenants; storing, in the tenant database, a copy of the tenant-specific data structures having the tenant-specific designation and links to the shared data structures having the shared designation; copying the tenant database of the selected tenant from a first data storage device; moving the copied tenant database to a second data storage device, wherein the second data storage device is associated with a tenant server; initializing the copied tenant database on the second data storage device; and using the copied tenant database on the second data storage device to implement a system management function.