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

1. A computer-implemented method for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, 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, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmitting, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receiving a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

updating, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmitting, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

2. A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

3. A computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

4. A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmitting, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receiving a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

5. A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

6. A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmitting, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmitting, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receiving an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receiving a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

7. A computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first client device and the second client device are each associated with an administrator status indicator.

8. An apparatus for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including program code, the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

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;

generate, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmit, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receive a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

update, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmit, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

9. An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

10. An apparatus of claim 9 , wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

11. An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

12. An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

13. An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

determine that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

14. An apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first client device and the second client device are each associated with an administrator status indicator.

15. A computer program product for creating an externally shared communication channel in a group-based communication platform, the group-based communication platform having a plurality of database shards, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion 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;

generate, in the group-based communication platform, a shared communication channel shard, wherein the shared communication channel shard is assigned a shared communication channel identification, and the group-based communication platform includes a first database shard associated with the initiator group identification and a second database shard associated with the target group identification;

transmit, to a second client device associated with the target group identification, a shared communication channel acceptance request, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance request is associated with the shared communication channel identification;

receive a shared communication channel acceptance notification, wherein the shared communication channel acceptance notification includes an electronic approval to associate the shared communication channel identification with the target group identification;

update, in a main database, a shard referential table based on the initiator group identification, the target group identification, and the shared communication channel identification; and

transmit, to each of the first client device and the second client device, an externally shared group-based shared communication channel interface of the shared communication channel based on the shared communication channel shard.

16. A computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the shard referential table includes a first referential connection between the initiator group identification and the first database shard, and a second referential connection between the target group identification and the second database shard.

17. A computer program product of claim 16 , wherein updating the shard referential table further includes:

identifying, based on the initiator group identification, the first referential connection in the shard referential table;

identifying, based on the target group identification, the second referential connection in the shard referential table; and

generating a third referential connection between the first referential connection, the second referential connection, and the shared communication channel identification.

18. A computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device and the second client device are each associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a fourth client device associated with the target group identification and a target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the fourth client device.

19. A computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a target administrator status indicator;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the initiator group identification and an initiator administrator status indicator, an initiator shared communication channel approval request; and

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.

20. A computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the executable portion of the computer-readable program code portions is further configured to:

determine that the first client device is associated with an initiator administrator status indicator and the second client device is associated with a non-administrator status indicator;

transmit, to the first client device, an initiator shared communication channel approval request;

transmit, to a third client device associated with the target group identification and an target administrator status indicator, a target shared communication channel approval request;

receive an initiator shared communication channel approval notification from the first client device; and

receive a target shared communication channel approval notification from the third client device.