Data caching method and computer program product therefor

• US 20070022251A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chi, Kuang-Hui, Liaw, Kwo-Shine, Tsai, Pai-Feng
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/133
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/121 using replacement algorithms

Abstract

A data caching method and a computer program product used in a cache system where a data replacing parameter is used for a data replacement rule, are provided to assist determining whether a use data has to be replaced or not. The data caching method and the computer program product rely on the cache system to determine whether to replace the use data when the resource consumed in fetching the use data is lower than a predetermined level. However, when the resource consumed in fetching the use data is higher or equal to the predetermined level, the value of the data replacing parameter mentioned above is replaced within a predetermined period, such that the use data could be maintained in the cache system.

Claims

1. A data caching method, adapted for a cache system where a data replacing parameter is used for a data replacement rule to assist determining whether to replace a use data;

the data caching method comprising;

when a resource consumed in fetching the use data is lower than a predetermined level, determining whether to replace the use data by the cache system; and

when the resource consumed in fetching the use data is greater than or equal to the predetermined level, replacing a parameter value of the data replacing parameter within a predetermined period, such that the use data is maintained in the cache system during the predetermined period.

2. The data caching method of claim 1, wherein the data replacing rule of the cache system is a Least-Recently Used (LRU) rule, and the data replacing parameter is a number of data usage.

3. The data caching method of claim 1, wherein the data replacing rule of the cache system is a Least-Frequently Used (LFU) rule, and the data replacing parameter is a frequency of data usage.

4. The data caching method of claim 1, wherein whether to replace the parameter value of the data replacing parameter within the predetermined period is further determined according to a service level of the use data.

5. The data caching method of claim 1, wherein:

the cache system is used in a signal access point (AP) of a wireless network,

the use data comprises a corresponding login information obtained from a server by the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network when a user login to the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network, and

the resource consumed in fetching the use data is a period of time from when the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network starts to request the login information from the server to when the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network had received the login information.

6. A computer program product for data caching, executing the following steps in the computer:

determining a resource consumed in fetching a use data;

when the resource consumed in fetching the use data is lower than a predetermined level, not performing any step; and

when the resource consumed in fetching the use data is greater than or equal to the predetermined level, replacing a parameter value of a data replacing parameter within a predetermined period,

wherein, a preset cache system relies on the data replacing parameter to determine whether to replace the use data.

7. The computer program product for data caching of claim 6, wherein the computer program product for data caching operates in the computer as a resident program.

8. The computer program product for data caching of claim 6, wherein the data replacing rule of the cache system is a Least-Recently Used (LRU) rule, and the data replacing parameter is a number of data usage.

9. The computer program product for data caching of claim 6, wherein the data replacing rule of the cache system is a Least-Frequently Used (LFU) rule, and the data replacing parameter is a frequency of data usage.

10. The computer program product for data caching of claim 6, further comprising executing the following step in the computer:

determining whether to replace the parameter value of the data replacing parameter within the predetermined period according to a service level of the use data.

11. The computer program product for data caching of claim 6, wherein:

the cache system is used in a signal access point (AP) of a wireless network, the use data comprises a corresponding login information obtained from a server by the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network when a user login to the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network, and

the resource consumed in fetching the use data is a period of time from when the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network starts to request the login information from the server to when the signal access point (AP) of the wireless network had received the login information.