Centralized bounded domain caching control system for network edge servers

• US 20030115421A1
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fort Hill Systems
• Original Assignee: Fort Hill Systems
• Inventors: Veach, David, Koren, Dan, Czarnik, Paul G., Schroeder, Carl J., Zink, David S., Caldecott, Neal, Trumbo-McHenry, Shari L., McHenry, Stephen T.
• Application Number:
  US10/212,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• 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 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• 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 network edge cache management system centrally determines cache content storage and replacement policies for a distributed plurality of network edge caches. The management system includes a content selection server that executes a first process over a bounded content domain against a predefined set of domain content identifiers to produce a meta-content description of the bounded content domain, a second process against the meta-content description to define a plurality of content groups representing respective content sub-sets of the bounded content domain, a third process to associate respective sets of predetermined cache management attributes with the plurality of content groups, and a fourth process to generate a plurality of cache control rule bases selectively storing identifications of the plurality of content groups and corresponding associated sets of the predetermined cache management attributes. The cache control rule bases are distributed to the plurality of network edge cache servers.

Claims

1. A method of managing the content delivery-based operation of a network edge server, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting, by reference, cacheable content from within a predefined, bounded content domain based on a predetermined set of domain content discovery rules;

b) grouping, by reference, sets of said cacheable content for common treatment by said network edge server;

c) assigning predetermined cache action control rules to said sets of said cacheable content, wherein a prefetch cache action control rule assigned to a first set of said cacheable content distinguishes said first set from a second set of said cacheable content;

e) generating a rule base containing said cache action control rules; and

f) distributing said rule base to said network edge server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined cache action control rules specify first and second order cache eviction qualifiers to control the persistent cache content management operation of said network edge cache.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined cache action control rules specify a plurality of content retention qualifiers as said first order eviction qualifiers

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said plurality of content retention qualifiers define the relative priority ordering for retention of said cacheable content by said network edge cache.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said plurality of content retention qualifiers includes lock to cache memory, lock to cache disk, and lock to nothing qualifiers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said second order cache eviction qualifiers define relative priorities applicable to said first order cache eviction qualifiers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of assigning further assigns cache partition rules and cache policy rules to said sets of cacheable content, wherein said cache partition rules associate predetermined ones of said sets of cacheable content with corresponding ones of a plurality of cache partitions established within said network edge server, and wherein said cache policy rules include a prefetch rule providing for the autonomous retrieval of the cacheable content referenced by selected ones of said sets of cacheable content to corresponding ones of said plurality of cache partitions.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said cache policy rules include cacheable content eviction policies establishing relative priorities for the retention of cacheable content by said network edge server.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein said cacheable content eviction policies include lock to cache memory and lock to cache disk relative priorities.

10. A network edge cache management system providing cache content storage and replacement policies for a distributed plurality of network edge caches, said network edge cache management system comprising:

a) a content selection server operative to execute a first process over a bounded content domain against a predefined set of domain content identifiers to produce a meta-content description of said bounded content domain, a second process against said meta-content description to define a plurality of content groups representing respective content sub-sets of said bounded content domain, a third process to associate respective sets of predetermined cache management attributes with said plurality of content groups, and a fourth process to generate a plurality of cache control rule bases selectively storing identifications of said plurality of content groups and corresponding associated sets of said predetermined cache management attributes; and

b) a distribution server coupleable through a network interface to a plurality of network edge cache servers, said distribution server operative to distribute respectively said cache control rule bases to said plurality of network edge cache servers.

11. The network edge cache management system of claim 10 wherein said predetermined cache management attributes include prefetch and fetch-on-demand attributes.

12. The network edge cache management system of claim 10 wherein said cache control rule bases include specifications of pluralities of cache partitions, including cache partition size information, and wherein said predetermined cache management attributes include cache partition assignment information.

13. The network edge cache management system of claim 12 wherein said predetermined cache management attributes selectively include cache content eviction policy identifiers.

14. The network edge cache management system of claim 13 wherein said cache content eviction policy identifiers include lock to cache memory and lock to cache disk.

15. The network edge cache management system of claim 10 wherein said sets of predetermined cache management attributes, as assigned respectively to said plurality of content groups with respect selectively with respect to said plurality of cache control rule bases, designate corresponding content of said bounded domain for forward or reverse proxy caching by said plurality of network edge cache servers.

16. The network edge cache management system of claim 15 wherein said sets of predetermined cache management attributes further designate relative persistence priority cache eviction policies for said plurality of content groups.

17. The network edge cache management system of claim 16 wherein said cache control rule bases include specifications of pluralities of reverse proxy cache partitions, including cache partition size information, and wherein said predetermined cache management attributes include cache partition assignment information.

18. The network edge cache management system of claim 17 wherein said second and third processes are responsive to predetermined selections of sets of said plurality of content groups to individualize said plurality of cache control rule bases for distribution to said plurality of network edge cache servers.

19. The network edge cache management system of claim 18 wherein said persistence priority cache eviction policies include lock to cache memory and lock to cache disk qualifiers.

20. A content distribution control system providing centralized management, relative to a bounded content domain, over content distribution through network edge servers, said content distribution control system comprising:

a) a memory storing a first identification of predetermined content available within said bounded content domain, a second identification of said plurality of network edge servers, a first set of content subgrouping specifications, and a second set of content cache management directives, wherein said second set includes a first directive specifying a plurality of cache partitions and sizes, a second directive for associating content subgroups with corresponding ones of said plurality of cache partitions, and a third directive specifying relative cache storage and eviction priority levels for content subgroups; and

b) a processor, coupled to said memory, responsive to said first set to define content subgroups of said first identification and selectively associate subsets of said content cache management directives with respect to said plurality of network edge servers of said second identification to generate respective content management rule bases to define the network edge cache management operations of a corresponding plurality of network edge servers, said processor being further operative to distribute said respective content management rule bases to said plurality of network edge servers.

21. The content distribution control system of claim 20 wherein said third directive includes specifying an autonomous prefetching of corresponding content subgroups.

22. The content distribution control system of claim 21 wherein said third directive includes specifying relative cache storage priorities including lock to cache memory and lock to cache disk.