Method, apparatus, and computer program product for installing and updating third party applications requiring variable host address identification in a group-based communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020036723-A1
Application number	US-201916519576-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2019
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Jan 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products that enable client devices to install integrations of a third party application that supports variable host address identification.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for managing a plurality of blueprint application integrations requiring variable host address identifications in a group-based communication system comprising a group-based communication server, a group-based communication repository, and a plurality of group-based communication channels, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
generate and transmit, in response to receiving from a client device a request to define the one or more integration parameters for the blueprint application, maximum scopes and features request interface data configured to cause a client device to render an interactive scopes and features request interface, the interactive scopes and feature request interface being configured to enable user authorization of defined scopes and features for a blueprint application integration that forms part of the plurality of blueprint application integrations; generate, in response to receiving from the client device a maximum scopes and features definition object comprising a user authorization of defined scopes and features for the blueprint application integration, an authentication token configured to enable the defined scopes and features for the blueprint application integration; cause token data associated with the authentication token to be transmitted to a third party application provider associated with the blueprint application; and generate and store, in the group-based communication repository, in response to receiving the maximum scopes and features definition object, a blueprint application integration row comprising one or more integration row entries, wherein the one or more integration row entries comprise information at least partially related to the blueprint application integration.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blueprint application is associated with a blueprint application identifier that uniquely identifies the blueprint application; and
wherein the one or more integration row entries comprise the blueprint application identifier.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the authentication token comprises one or more of (i) an integration identifier that uniquely identifies the blueprint application integration, (ii) a workspace identifier that uniquely identifies a workspace to which the blueprint application integration belongs, or (iii) a secret string; and
wherein the one or more integration row entries comprise the integration identifier.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein causing token data associated with the authentication token to be transmitted to a third party application provider associated with the blueprint application comprises:
transmitting a token transmission payload to the client device, wherein the token transmission payload is configured to cause the client device to render token data associated with the authentication token and instructions for providing the token data to the third party application provider.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more integration row entries comprise one or more of: (i) one or more variable host address identification placeholders, (ii) a plurality of enabled function placeholders, (iii) a plurality of blueprint application integration scope placeholders (iv) a blueprint application identifier that uniquely identifies the blueprint application; (v) an integration identifier that uniquely identifies the blueprint application integration, or (vi) the authentication token; and
wherein the plurality of blueprint application integration scope placeholders are subsequently replaced by a plurality of blueprint application integration scopes that are at least partially defined by the maximum scopes and features definition object; and further wherein the group-based communication server initially causes a plurality of the one or more integration row entries to store null values.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blueprint application is associated with a maximum scopes and features set; and
wherein the defined scopes and features for the blueprint application integration comprise one of (i) the maximum scopes and functions set or (ii) a subset of the maximum scopes and functions set.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blueprint application integration row is further configured to either store or point to a location in the group-based communication repository that stores a settings manifest file, the settings manifest file comprising information defining one or more of (i) at least one blueprint application integration scopes, (ii) at least one enabled function, (iii) at least one defined host address identification, or (iv) the authentication token.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blueprint application is associated with a settings manifest file, the settings manifest file comprising information defining one or more of (i) at least one blueprint application integration scopes, (ii) at least one enabled function, (iii) at least one variable host address identification, or (iv) the authentication token.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code is configured to further cause the apparatus to:
provide an integration information endpoint configured to receive an integration settings query payload, wherein the integration settings query payload comprises at least the authentication token; and provide an integration update endpoint configured to receive an integration update request payload, wherein the integration update request payload comprises at least the authentication token.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the computer program code is configured to further cause the apparatus to:
retrieve from the group-based communication repository, in response to receiving the integration settings query payload, a settings manifest file that comprises at least the authentication token; and transmit an integration settings response payload comprising information at least partially related to the settings manifest file.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the integration update request payload comprises an updated settings manifest file; and
wherein the computer program code is configured to further cause the apparatus to:
access the group-based communication repository, in response to receiving the integration update request payload, and modify a settings manifest file associated with the authentication token, such that the manifest file associated with the authentication token matches the updated settings manifest file; and
generate and transmit an integration update confirmation payload, wherein the integration update confirmation payload comprises the authentication token.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the integration update request payload comprises a plurality of parameters comprising one or more of the authentication token, the blueprint application integration identifier, or parameters defining a new scope or function for the blueprint application integration corresponding to the blueprint application integration identifier; and
wherein the computer program code is configured to further cause the apparatus to:
access the group-based communication repository, in response to receiving the integration update request payload, and modify the blueprint application integration row associated with the authentication token, wherein at least one new integration row entry is appended to the blueprint application integration row to store data associated with the new scope or function for t

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ranchod Sachin
• O'Neill Brian Stephen
• Dong Shan Amy
• Chen Steven

Classifications

• H04L65/403 Primary

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• G06F9/54

  Interprogram communication · CPC title

• H04L67/20

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L63/104 Primary

  Grouping of entities · CPC title