Method, apparatus and computer program product for generating externally shared communication channels

A apparatus for creating a shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, wherein the group-based communication platform comprises a plurality of database shards, and wherein the apparatus comprises:

• communications circuitry configured to:
• receive, from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification,
• transmit, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request,
• receive a shared communication channel acceptance notification,
• transmit, to the first client device, a first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel, and
• transmit, to the second client device, a second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel;
• database circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, wherein the database circuitry is configured to:
• receive, from the communications circuitry, the shared communication channel generation query,
• generate a shared communication channel shard, wherein the plurality of database shards comprises the shared communication channel shard, and wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, a first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification, and a second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification,
• generate the shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification,
• transmit, to the communications circuitry for transmission to the second client device associated with the target group identification, the shared communication channel acceptance request, and
• receive, from the communications circuitry, the shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification comprises an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;
• referential table generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and a main database, wherein the main database comprises a shard referential table, and wherein the referential table generation circuitry is configured to:
• update the shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, the shared communication channel identification, the first set of shared communication channel attributes, and the second set of shared communication channel attributes;
• and
• interface generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and the referential table generation circuitry, wherein the interface generation circuitry is configured to:
• generate the first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification,
• generate the second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification,
• transmit, to the communications circuitry for transmission to the first client device, the first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel, and
• transmit, to the communications circuitry for transmission to the second client device, the second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel.

A computer-implemented method for creating a shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, wherein the group-based communication platform comprises a plurality of database shards, and wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

• receiving, by communications circuitry from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification;
• generating, by database circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the plurality of database shards comprises the shared communication channel shard, and wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, a first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification, and a second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification;
• generating, by the database circuitry, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;
• transmitting, by the communications circuitry to a second client device associated with the target group identification, the shared communication channel acceptance request;
• receiving, by the communications circuitry, a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification comprises an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;
• updating, by referential table generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, the shared communication channel identification, the first set of shared communication channel attributes, and the second set of shared communication channel attributes, wherein the main database comprises the shard referential table;
• generating, by interface generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and the referential table generation circuitry, a first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification;
• generating, by the interface generation circuitry, a second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification;
• transmitting, by the communications circuitry to the first client device, the first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel;
• and
• transmitting, by the communications circuitry to the second client device, the second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel.

A computer program product for creating a shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, wherein the group-based communication platform comprises a plurality of database shards, and wherein the computer program product comprises at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable program code instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry of a computing system, cause the computing system to:

• receive, by communications circuitry from a first client device associated with an initiator group identification, a shared communication channel generation query associated with the initiator group identification and a target group identification;
• generate, by database circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the plurality of database shards comprises the shared communication channel shard, and wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, a first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification, and a second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification;
• generate, by the database circuitry, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;
• transmit, by the communications circuitry to a second client device associated with the target group identification, the shared communication channel acceptance request;
• receive, by the communications circuitry, a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification comprises an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;
• update, by referential table generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, the shared communication channel identification, the first set of shared communication channel attributes, and the second set of shared communication channel attributes, wherein the main database comprises the shard referential table;
• generate, by interface generation circuitry in communication with the communications circuitry, the database circuitry, and the referential table generation circuitry, a first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the first set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the initiator group identification;
• generate, by the interface generation circuitry, a second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard and the second set of shared communication channel attributes associated with the target group identification;
• transmit, by the communications circuitry to the first client device, the first externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel;
• and
• transmit, by the communications circuitry to the second client device, the second externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel.