Mechanism for caching dynamically generated content

• US 20020120710A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chintalapati, Murthy, Bhattacharya, Pallab
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A mechanism for caching dynamically generated content is disclosed, wherein initially, a server receives a request from a client for a set of dynamically generated content. In response to the request, the server accesses a cached version of the requested content, which was generated previously, and determines whether the cached version is still valid. If the cached version is no longer valid (e.g. is out of date), then the requested content is dynamically generated and stored in a cache, replacing the outdated version. In addition, the freshly generated content is provided to the client in response to the request. The client is thus provided with the most current information. On the other hand, if the cached version is still valid, then the server foregoes generating the content. Instead, it provides the cached version of the content to the client. By doing so, the server reduces the time required to return the content to the client, and significantly improves system performance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for servicing a request, comprising:

receiving, from a client, a request for a set of dynamic content;

accessing information associated with a cached version of said dynamic content from a cache;

determining whether said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid;

dynamically generating said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content;

incorporating said updated version of said dynamic content into a response to said request; and

sending said response to said client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing said cached version of said dynamic content with said updated version of said dynamic content in said cache.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

incorporating said cached version of said dynamic content into said response rather than dynamically generating said dynamic content; and

sending said response to said client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said dynamic content is dynamically generated only if said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said request calls for additional content in addition to said dynamic content, and wherein said method further comprises:

dynamically generating said additional content; and

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid, incorporating said additional content into said response along with said cached version of said dynamic content.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said request calls for additional content in addition to said dynamic content, and wherein said method further comprises:

dynamically generating said additional content; and

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid, incorporating said additional content into said response along with said updated version of said dynamic content.

7. A computer-implemented method for serving dynamic content, comprising:

receiving an instruction from an application to send a cached version of a set of dynamic content to a client to respond to a request from said client;

accessing information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content from a cache;

determining whether said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid;

instructing said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content;

incorporating said updated version of said dynamic content into a response to said request; and

sending said response to said client.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

replacing said cached version of said dynamic content with said updated version of said dynamic content in said cache.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an initialization instruction from said application to initialize a cache set in said cache, said initialization instruction including one or more references to one or more functions of said application that may be invoked to maintain said cache set;

initializing said cache set; and

associating with said cache set said one or more references.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said instruction includes a specified key to a particular entry in said cache which contains information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content, and wherein accessing said information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content from said cache comprises:

extracting a candidate key from an entry in said cache; and

invoking a comparison function of said application to cause said application to compare said specified key with said candidate key to determine whether there is a match.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein instructing said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content comprises:

invoking a refresh function of said application to cause said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said refresh function is a callback function.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

prior to invoking said refresh function, invoking a free function of said application to cause said application to clear said cached version of said dynamic content.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said free function is a callback function.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

incorporating said cached version of said dynamic content into said response rather than instructing said application to dynamically generating said dynamic content; and

sending said response to said client.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a set of additional content from said application; and

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid, incorporating said additional content into said response along with said updated version of said dynamic content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said additional content is dynamically generated by said application.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a set of additional content from said application; and

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid, incorporating said additional content into said response along with said cached version of said dynamic content.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said additional content is dynamically generated by said application.

20. A computer-implemented method for servicing a request, comprising:

receiving a request for a set of dynamic content;

determining a key to a particular entry in a cache in which information associated with a cached version of said dynamic content is stored; and

instructing a server to access said particular entry in said cache, and to send said cached version of said dynamic content to a client in a response to said request.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

prior to receiving said request, instructing said server to initialize a cache set in said cache, providing to said server one or more references to one or more functions that said server may invoke in maintaining said cache set.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving from said server an instruction to refresh said dynamic content; and

dynamically generating said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

prior to receiving said instruction to refresh said dynamic content, receiving an instruction from said server to free said cached version of said dynamic content; and

clearing said cached version of said dynamic content.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from said server to compare said key with a candidate key; and

comparing said key with said candidate key to determine whether there is a match.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein instructing said server to access said particular entry comprises:

providing a set of additional content to said server to be incorporated into said response.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein instructing said server to access said particular entry comprises:

dynamically generating a set of additional content; and

providing said additional content to said server to be incorporated into said response.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to replace said cached version of said dynamic content with said updated version of said dynamic content in said cache.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate said cached version of said dynamic content into said response rather than dynamically generating said dynamic content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to send said response to said client.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said dynamic content is dynamically generated only if said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said request calls for additional content in addition to said dynamic content, and wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to dynamically generate said additional content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate, in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid, said additional content into said response along with said cached version of said dynamic content.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said request calls for additional content in addition to said dynamic content, and wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to dynamically generate said additional content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate, in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid, said additional content into said response along with said updated version of said dynamic content.

27. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to service a request, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive, from a client, a request for a set of dynamic content;

instructions for causing one or more processors to access information associated with a cached version of said dynamic content from a cache;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid;

instructions for causing one or more processors to dynamically generate said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content;

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate said updated version of said dynamic content into a response to said request; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to send said response to said client.

33. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to serve dynamic content, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive an instruction from an application to send a cached version of a set of dynamic content to a client to respond to a request from said client;

instructions for causing one or more processors to access information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content from a cache;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid;

instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content;

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate said updated version of said dynamic content into a response to said request; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to send said response to said client.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to replace said cached version of said dynamic content with said updated version of said dynamic content in said cache.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive an initialization instruction from said application to initialize a cache set in said cache, said initialization instruction including one or more references to one or more functions of said application that may be invoked to maintain said cache set;

instructions for causing one or more processors to initialize said cache set; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to associate with said cache set said one or more references.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein said instruction from said application includes a specified key to a particular entry in said cache which contains information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content, and wherein said instructions for causing one or more processors to access said information associated with said cached version of said dynamic content from said cache comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to extract a candidate key from an entry in said cache; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke a comparison function of said application to cause said application to compare said specified key with said candidate key to determine whether there is a match.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein said instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke a refresh function of said application to cause said application to dynamically generate said dynamic content.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein said refresh function is a callback function.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 37, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to invoke, prior to invoking said refresh function, a free function of said application to cause said application to clear said cached version of said dynamic content.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein said free function is a callback function.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid;

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate said cached version of said dynamic content into said response rather than instructing said application to dynamically generating said dynamic content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to send said response to said client.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a set of additional content from said application; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate, in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is not currently valid, said additional content into said response along with said updated version of said dynamic content.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said additional content is dynamically generated by said application.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a set of additional content from said application; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to incorporate, in response to a determination that said cached version of said dynamic content is currently valid, said additional content into said response along with said cached version of said dynamic content.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein said additional content is dynamically generated by said application.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct, prior to receiving said request, said server to initialize a cache set in said cache, providing to said server one or more references to one or more functions that said server may invoke in maintaining said cache set.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 46, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive from said server an instruction to refresh said dynamic content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to dynamically generate said dynamic content to derive an updated version of said dynamic content.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 48, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive, prior to receiving said instruction to refresh said dynamic content, an instruction from said server to free said cached version of said dynamic content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to clear said cached version of said dynamic content.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 46, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive an instruction from said server to compare said key with a candidate key; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to compare said key with said candidate key to determine whether there is a match.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein said instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct said server to access said particular entry comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to provide a set of additional content to said server to be incorporated into said response.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein said instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct said server to access said particular entry comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to dynamically generate a set of additional content; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to provide said additional content to said server to be incorporated into said response.

46. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to service a request, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to receive a request for a set of dynamic content;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a key to a particular entry in a cache in which information associated with a cached version of said dynamic content is stored; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to instruct a server to access said particular entry in said cache, and to send said cached version of said dynamic content to a client in a response to said request.