Selective file caching method

• US 20040267702A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Chaparral Network Storage, Inc. (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Vedder, Rex, Gallant, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for improving performance through selective file caching is disclosed. The caching policy of a client'"'"'s browser cache is set to cache all files. Web page files that reference a dynamic file include JavaScript code that mangles the dynamic filename, such that a reference by the web page file to the dynamic file is unique each time a browser, processes the web page file. In one embodiment, the filename is mangled by appending to it a known string followed by a 12-digit timestamp. Consequently, the mangled filename misses in the cache, forcing the browser to fetch the dynamic file from the web server. The web server recognizes the filename is in the mangled format, regenerates the original filename, and returns the file to the client. Static filenames are not mangled; hence, they are satisfied from the browser cache. The method also works to selectively defeat network caching.

Claims

1. A method for improving web application performance through selective file caching in a browser cache, the method comprising:

altering a first filename to create a second filename, the first filename specifying a file on, a web server, wherein the second filename has a high probability of missing in the browser cache; and

issuing a request to the web server for the second filename.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a cache policy of the browser cache to always cache files whenever possible, prior to said altering a first filename to create a second filename.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering and said issuing are performed by a client computer coupled to the web server by a network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client computer executes the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering a first filename to create a second filename comprises appending a string to the first filename.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the string has a predetermined portion and a unique portion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique portion comprises a timestamp.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining the timestamp from a computer performing said altering.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to the web server for the second filename comprises an http request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating the http request using the second filename.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing a request to the web server for the second filename comprises issuing the request on the world-wide-web.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the file on the web server specified by the first filename is a file with dynamic content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing a request to the web server for the second filename comprises a web browser issuing the request.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

issuing a second request to the web server for a third filename, the third filename specifying a file on the web server having static content, wherein the third filename is not altered, thereby having a high probability of hitting in the browser cache.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing a request to the web server for the second filename is performed in response to user input.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing a request to the web server for the second filename is performed in response to a web browser executing code in a file received from the web server.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering a first filename to create a second filename comprises a web browser executing code in a file received from the web server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the code comprises JavaScript code.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the code generates HTML code for the web browser to execute.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the generated HTML code comprises a link to the second filename for displaying on a display screen.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the generated HTML code comprises a reference to the second filename.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the web server, receiving the request for the second filename; and

regenerating the first filename from the second filename.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the second filename has been altered, prior to said regenerating the first filename from the second filename.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said determining the second filename has been altered comprises determining the second filename has been altered according to a predetermined method.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said regenerating the first filename from the second filename comprises removing a string from the second filename.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the string has a predetermined portion and a unique portion.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the unique portion comprises a timestamp.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

returning the file specified by the first filename to a client computer coupled to the web server by a network, after said regenerating the first filename, wherein the client computer performs said issuing a request to the web server for the second filename.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the second filename is altered to have a high probability of missing in a network cache of a web caching server coupled between the web server and a client computer executing the web browser.

30. A method for achieving selective file caching in a browser cache of a client computer, the method comprising:

at a web server, receiving http requests from the client computer, each of the http requests including a filename; and

for each of the http requests;

determining whether the filename is an altered form of an original filename specifying a file on the web server, the original filename having been altered to avoid the second filename hitting in the browser cache; and

regenerating the original filename from the filename included in the http request, if the filename included in the http request is an altered form of the original filename.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

returning to the client computer the file specified by the original filename, after said regenerating the original filename.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

returning to the client computer the file specified by the filename included in the http request, if the filename is not an altered form of the original filename.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

at the client computer;

altering the original filename to generate an altered filename.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

at the client computer;

creating HTML code that references the altered filename.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

at the client computer;

issuing one of the http requests to the web server, wherein the one of the http requests includes the altered filename.

36. A method for effecting selective file caching in a web browser cache, the method comprising:

at a client computer;

setting a cache policy of the browser cache to cache all files whenever possible;

mangling a natural filename to create a mangled filename, wherein the natural filename refers to a file on a web server;

issuing to the web server an http request for the mangled filename;

at a web server;

receiving the http request;

regenerating the natural filename from the mangled filename; and

returning to the client computer the file referred to by the natural filename.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

at the client computer;

determining the mangled filename misses in the browser cache, before said issuing to the web server an http request for the mangled filename.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said file on said web server includes changing content.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein said mangling is performed by code being executed by a web browser on the client computer.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the mangled filename has a high probability of missing in the browser cache.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the mangled filename has a high probability of missing in a network cache of a proxy server coupled between the client computer and the web server.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

at the web server;

returning a file specified by a filename in a second http request if the second http request does not include a filename in a mangled format.

43. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

at the client computer;

receiving user input after said mangling;

wherein said issuing to the web server an http request for the mangled filename is performed in response to said receiving said user input.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the user input comprises a user clicking on a link specifying the http request.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

displaying the link on the user'"'"'s display, prior to said receiving user input.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein said mangling comprises executing JavaScript code.

47. A computer network, comprising:

a web server, for storing a first file having static content and a first filename, and second file having dynamic content and a second filename; and

a client computer, coupled to the web server, having a browser cache, said client computer configured to satisfy a request for said first file from said browser cache, and to issue to said web server an http request for said second file using a mangled version of said second filename, mangled to miss in said browser cache;

wherein said web server is configured to regenerate said second filename from said mangled filename and to return said second file to said client computer, in response to said http request.

48. The computer network of claim 47, wherein said browser cache is configured to a highest caching level.

49. The computer network of claim 47, wherein said web server comprises:

an I/O controller, for controlling one or more I/O devices coupled thereto.

50. The computer network of claim 49, wherein said first and second files comprise web page files used for managing said I/O controller.

51. The computer network of claim 49, wherein said I/O controller comprises a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller.

52. The computer network of claim 47, further comprising:

a network, for coupling said web server and said client computer.

53. The computer network of claim 52, wherein said network comprises the world-wide-web.