Method and apparatus for managing internal caches and external caches in a data processing system

• US 20020143868A1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Copeland, George Prentice, Iyengar, Arun Kwangil, Dantzig, Paul Michael, McClain, Matthew Dale, Challenger, James R.H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,574,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache A set of fragments is received for caching. A location is identified to store each fragment within the plurality of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment. The set of fragments is stored in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a set of fragments for caching;

identifying a location to store each fragment within the set of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing information in the location of each fragment to form fragment data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment top level fragment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the top level fragment is stored in the external cache.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fragment includes a fragment containing a portion of a page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fragment is stored in the internal cache.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a location comprises:

identifying a fragment to be stored in the internal cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is greater than a threshold value; and

identifying a fragment to be stored in the external cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is less than or equal to a threshold value.

8. A web server application for use in a data processing system comprising:

an engine, wherein the engine receives and responds to requests for a page, wherein the page includes a plurality of fragments, wherein each of the plurality of fragments are stored independently of other fragments;

an internal cache;

an interface to an external cache group; and

a cache coordinator, wherein the cache coordinator synchronizes the internal cache and the external cache.

9. The web server application of claim 8, wherein the cache coordinator synchronizes the internal cache and the external cache group through controlling invalidation of contents within the internal cache and the external cache.

10. The web server application of claim 8, wherein a plurality of fragments are stored in the internal cache and the external cache group.

11. The web server application of claim 10, wherein the cache coordinator stores an identification of the plurality of fragments.

12. The web server application of claim 11, wherein the identification of the plurality of fragments includes a location of the plurality of fragments.

13. The web server application of claim 11, wherein the cache coordinator manages invalidation of the plurality of fragments.

14. The web server application of claim 13, wherein the cache coordinator manages rerendering of a fragment within the plurality of fragments that has been invalidated.

15. The web server application of claim 8, wherein the external cache group cache is located within another data processing system.

16. The web server application of claim 8, wherein the external cache is located within the data processing system.

17. The web server application of claim 8, wherein the external cache group includes a first external cache located in a first data processing system and a second external cache located in a second data processing system.

18. The web server application of claim 8, wherein the web server application is executing in a Java virtual machine.

20. The data processing system of claim 19 further comprising:

storing means for storing information in the location of each fragment to form fragment data.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment top level fragment.

22. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the top level fragment is stored in the external cache.

23. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the fragment includes a fragment containing a portion of a page.

24. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the fragment is stored in the internal cache.

25. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the means of identifying a location comprises:

first identifying means for identifying a fragment to be stored in the internal cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is greater than a threshold value; and

second identifying means for identifying a fragment to be stored in the external cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is less than or equal to a threshold value.

19. A data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a set of fragments for caching;

identifying means for identifying a location to store each fragment within the set of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

storing means for storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

26. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a set of fragments for caching;

second instructions for identifying a location to store each fragment within the plurality of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

third instructions for storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.