System and method for prefetching uncachable embedded objects

• US 20070250601A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Blue Coat Systems Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Doherty, Niall, Amlekar, Shekhar
• Granted Patent: US 7,685,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A system and method for prefetching one or more embedded objects marked uncacheable using a staging area on a prefetch cache to temporarily store (load) the uncacheable object. The staging area is a buffer allocated to a socket that is established between a prefetch cache and the server subsequent to the establishment of an initial connection. A prefetch caching process retrieves one or more embedded objects from the server using one or more sockets 145 based on the response sent to the client and a preconfigured set of rules. Additionally, the prefetch caching process determines whether the embedded object is uncacheable. The prefetch caching process then loads the object into the buffer associated with the socket. The prefetch caching process waits a predetermined time period for the cache to receive a client request for the object. If the request is received prior to expiration of the time period, the prefetch caching process sends the object over the socket. Otherwise, the process “flushes” the buffer, thereby discarding the object, and then closes the socket.

Claims

1. A method for prefetching uncacheable one or more embedded objects of a data set from a server, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a client request for the data set at a prefetch cache;

prefetching the one or more embedded objects from the server in anticipation of subsequent client requests for the objects;

opening a socket on the prefetch cache to retrieve the one or more embedded objects from the server;

determining whether each embedded object is uncacheable;

loading the uncacheable embedded object into a buffer associated with the socket;

receiving a subsequent client request for the uncacheable embedded object; and

sending the uncacheable embedded object from the socket to the client through the socket.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating an entry in a cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing a network address in the entry of the cache table for the embedded object.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

locating the socket using the network address stored in the entry of the cache table.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing a timestamp in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

using the timestamp to determine if the uncacheable embedded object is older than a threshold time period; and

flushing the uncacheable embedded object from the buffer if older than the threshold time period.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing a flag in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing a file identifier in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

waiting for a client request for the uncacheable embedded object from the client.

10. A method for prefetching uncacheable one or more embedded objects of a data set on a server, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a client request for the data set at a prefetch cache;

prefetching one or more embedded objects in anticipation of subsequent client requests;

opening a socket on the prefetch cache to retrieve the one or more embedded objects from the server

determining whether each embedded object is marked private;

storing a network address of the client in a cache table when the embedded object is marked private;

determining whether the network address matches a predefined network address allowed to receive the embedded object;

receiving a subsequent client request for the embedded object; and

serving the embedded object to the client through the socket on the prefetch cache if the network address matches the predefined network address.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

closing the connection and not transferring the embedded object if the network address does not match the predefined network address.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

loading the uncacheable embedded object into a buffer associated with the socket.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

creating an entry in a cache table for the embedded object.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

storing a network address in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

locating the socket using the network address stored in the cache table.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the embedded object to a client from the located socket.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

storing a timestamp in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

using the timestamp to determine if the uncacheable embedded object is older than a threshold time period; and

flushing the uncacheable embedded object from the buffer if older than the threshold time period.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

storing a flag in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

storing a file identifier in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

21. An apparatus for prefetching uncacheable one or more embedded objects of a data set from a server, comprising:

means for intercepting a client request for the data set at a prefetch cache;

means for prefetching one or more embedded objects from the server in anticipation of subsequent client requests for the objects;

means for opening a socket on the prefetch cache to retrieve the one or more embedded objects from the server

means for determining whether each embedded object is uncacheable;

means for loading the uncacheable embedded object into a buffer associated the socket;

means for receiving a subsequent client request for the uncacheable embedded object; and

means for sending the uncacheable embedded object to the client from the socket.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for creating an entry in a cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing a network address in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for locating the socket using the network address stored in an entry of the cache table.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing a timestamp in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for using the timestamp to determine if the uncacheable embedded object is older than a threshold time period; and

means flushing the uncacheable embedded object from the buffer if older than the threshold time period.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing a flag in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing a file identifier in the entry of the cache table for the uncacheable embedded object.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for waiting for a client request for the uncacheable embedded object from the client.

30. A system for prefetching uncacheable one or more embedded objects of a dataset from a server, comprising:

a prefetch cache to intercept a client request directed to the server for the data set;

a prefetch caching process to execute on the prefetch cache, the prefetch caching process adapted to anticipate subsequent client requests based on a preconfigured set of rules and attempts to prefetch one or more embedded objects from the server;

the prefetch caching process further adapted to open a socket on the prefetch cache to retrieve the one or more embedded objects from the server;

the prefetch caching process adapted to determine if each embedded object is marked uncacheable; and

the prefetch cache process adapted to load the uncacheable embedded object into the buffer in response to each embedded object being marked uncacheable.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the prefetch caching process is further adapted to receive a subsequent client request for the uncacheable embedded object and retrieve the uncacheable embedded object from the socket.

32. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a cache table stored on the memory, the cache table organized to include an entry for the uncacheable embedded object.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the entry of the cache table stores a network address for the uncacheable embedded object.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the prefetch caching process is further adapted to locate the socket using the network address stored in the entry of the cache table.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the entry of the cache table further stores a timestamp for the uncacheable embedded object.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the prefetch caching process is further adapted to use the timestamp stored in the entry on the cache table to determine if the embedded object is older than a threshold time period and if the timestamp is older than the threshold time period to flush the uncacheable embedded object from the buffer.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein the entry of the cache table further stores a flag for the uncacheable embedded object.

38. The system of claim 32 wherein the entry of the cache table further stores a file identifier for the uncacheable embedded object.