System, method and computer program product for authenticating and authorizing an external entity

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for authenticating and authorizing an external entity. These mechanisms and methods for authenticating and authorizing an external entity can enable improved data security, more efficient data transfer, improved data access channels, etc.

1 . A computer program product embodied on a tangible computer readable medium, comprising:
 computer code for receiving a request from an external entity for user data stored in a multi-tenant on-demand database system;   computer code for authenticating and authorizing the external entity; and   computer code for conditionally returning the user data to the external entity, based on the authentication and authorization.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the eternal entity provides a service to the user. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the user data includes one or more files within the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the data is associated with a user organization of the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the external entity provides a service to the user, and the service requires the user data stored in the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the request is received at an instance of the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the request is routed from the instance of the multi-tenant on-demand database system where it is received to an instance in the system where an organization associated with the user is present. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the user enables remote access for the external entity by creating a remote access object for the external entity in the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that a key used to identify the external entity, along with corresponding security information, is generated when the remote access object is created. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the corresponding security information includes one or more of a secret, a password, a token, and encrypted data. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the key and corresponding security information are different from the user's login information for the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the key and the security information are globally replicated to all instances within the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating and authorizing the external entity includes redirecting the request to a login page of the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that when the external entity requests user data from the multi-tenant on-demand database system for the first time, the user is presented with a login page at the multi-tenant on-demand database system. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the user grants access permission to the external entity via the login page, utilizing the user's login information. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that security information is provided to the external entity after the user grants access permission to the external entity via the login page. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the external entity provides the security information to the multi-tenant on-demand database system, and the multi-tenant on-demand database system authenticates the external entity utilizing the security information. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the computer program product is operable such that the user data is returned to the external entity if the security information received from the external entity matches the security information associated with the external entity in the system. 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a request from an external entity for user data stored in a multi-tenant on-demand database system;   authenticating and authorizing the external entity; and   conditionally returning the user data to the external entity, based on the authentication and authorization.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor for:
 receiving a request from an external entity for user data stored in a multi-tenant on-demand database system; 
 authenticating and authorizing the external entity; and 
 conditionally returning the user data to the external entity, based on the authentication and authorization. 
   
     
     
         21 . A method for transmitting code for use in a multi-tenant database system on a transmission medium, the method comprising:
 transmitting code for receiving a request from an external entity for user data stored in a multi-tenant on-demand database system;   transmitting code for authenticating and authorizing the external entity; and   transmitting code for conditionally returning the user data to the external entity, based on the authentication and authorization.