Managing a local cache for an online content-management system

• US 10,334,069 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Barton, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pena-Santana, Tania M
• Application Number:
  US13/891,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for managing a local cache on a computing device that stores content items for an online content-management system. These techniques generally operate by gathering information that is available on the computing device (such as information about user actions, information about which applications are executing, and information about the location of the computing device) and using this information to identify relevant content items that are likely to be accessed in the near future. This enables the system to perform cache-management operations at the local cache to facilitate rapidly accessing the relevant content items through the local cache.

Claims

1. A method for managing a master cache cluster that stores content items that are synchronized between an online content-management system and a computing device that hosts a master local cache controller, the method comprising:

obtaining usage data associated with the computing device, the computing device hosting a local cache;

applying one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items to be accessed by the computing device;

obtaining proximity data to identify at least one other computing device hosting a local cache controller configured to communicate with the computing device that hosts the master local cache controller, wherein the computing device and the at least one other computing device are mobile devices; and

performing a cache-management operation at the master local cache controller to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through the master cache cluster, wherein the master cache cluster is connected to the online content management system via a first connection that is intermittent and the master cache cluster is connected via a second connection that is a wired or wireless network, wherein the first connection and second connection are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cache-management operation comprises:

prefetching a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into at least one local cache;

reserving space for the one or more relevant content items in the at least one local cache;

preventing the relevant content item or the portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the at least one local cache;

updating a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep the relevant content item in the at least one local cache; and

allocating space in the at least one local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the usage data further comprises:

determining that at least one computing device is moving to a geographic location that is associated with the one or more relevant content items that are frequently accessed at the geographic location; and

synchronizing a set of relevant content items that are frequently accessed at the geographic location from the online content-management system to the local cache.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises:

determining a present location of the at least one computing device;

identifying one or more content items that were accessed when the at least one computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identifying a type of content item that was accessed when the at least one computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identifying content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the at least one computing device was previously in proximity to the present location; and

synchronizing the identified content items to the local cache.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more relevant content items can include one or more of:

an image;

an audio clip;

a video clip;

a document; and

a data file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the usage data further comprises:

determining that a set of navigation-related content items in the local cache have not been accessed in a recent time interval;

determining that the computing device is in motion; and

not evicting the set of navigation-related content items from the local cache while the computing device is in motion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the usage data further comprises:

determining from an accelerometer in the computing device that the computing device is associated with a user who is running; and

synchronizing a set of content items to the local cache that are associated with running.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the usage data further comprises:

determining from a microphone in the computing device that the computing device is in a noisy environment; and

evicting from the local cache a set of audio content items that are associated with applications that historically have not been executed in noisy environments.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a set of additional computing devices that are proximate to the computing device and accessible via a local area network;

detecting an intermittent connection to the online content-management system; and

working collaboratively with the set of additional computing devices to share content item cache resources.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for managing a master cache that stores content items that are synchronized between an online content-management system and a computing device that hosts a master local cache controller, the instructions causing the computer to:

obtain usage data associated with the computing device, the computing device hosting a local cache;

apply one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items to be accessed by the computing device;

obtain proximity data to identify at least one other computing device hosting a local cache controller configured to communicate with the computing device that hosts the master local cache controller, wherein the computing device and the at least one other computing device are mobile devices; and

perform a cache-management operation at the master local cache controller to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through master local cache cluster, wherein the master local cache cluster is connected to the online content-management system via a first connection that is intermittent and the master cache cluster is connected via a second connection that is a wired or wireless network, wherein the first connection and second connection are different.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein performing the cache-management operation comprises:

prefetch a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into the local cache;

reserve space for the one or more relevant content items in the local cache;

prevent a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the local cache;

update a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep a relevant content item in the local cache; and

allocate space in the local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein obtaining the usage data further comprises instructions to cause the computer to:

determine that the computing device is moving to a geographic location that is associated with the one or more relevant content items that are frequently accessed at the geographic location; and

synchronize a set of relevant content items that are frequently accessed at the geographic location from the online content-management system to the local cache.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises instructions to cause the computer to:

determine a present location of the computing device;

identify one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location; and

synchronize the identified content items to the local cache.

14. A system that manages a master cache cluster that stores content items for an online content-management system, comprising:

a computing device comprising at least one processor and a memory;

a content-management client for the online content-management system; and

a master local cache controller for the master cache cluster configured to;

obtain usage data associated with the computing device, the computing device hosting a local cache;

apply one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items to be accessed by the computing device,

obtain proximity data to identify at least one other computing device hosting a local cache controller configured to communicate with the computing device that hosts the master local cache controller, wherein the computing device and the at least one other computing device are mobile devices; and

perform a cache-management operation at the local cache to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through the master cache cluster, wherein the master local cache cluster is connected to the online content-management system via a first connection that is intermittent and the master cache cluster is connected via a second connection that is a wired or wireless network, wherein the first connection and second connection are different.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein while performing the cache-management operation, the cache controller is configured to:

prefetch a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into the local cache;

reserve space for the one or more relevant content items in the local cache;

prevent the relevant content item or the portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the local cache;

update a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep the relevant content item in the local cache; and

allocate space in the local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein while performing the cache-management operation, the master local cache controller is configured to obtain and consider a user preference for caching a type of content item.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises instructions to cause the computer to:

determine a present location of the computing device;

identify one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location; and

synchronize the identified content items to the local cache.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein while identifying the one or more relevant content items the master local cache controller is configured to:

determine a present location of the computing device;

identify one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location;

identify content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to the present location; and

synchronize the identified content items to the local cache.