SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING A CACHE USING A GATING MECHANISM AND EVENTS

• US 20080040395A1
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Danoyan, Alexander Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A client caches objects from a data set on a server. The client registers to receive notification of events that occur to cached objects. As events occur to cached objects, the client determines if a specified time interval has elapsed since the cached objects were last updated. If a specified time interval has elapsed, then the client updates the cached objects. If a specified time interval has not elapsed, then the client waits for the specified time to elapse, during which time additional updates to the objects on the server can occur.

Claims

1. A client-server computer system to cache information from a server onto a client, comprising:

a data set on the server to store at least an first object;

a local cache on the client to store a cached version of the first object;

a persistent search module to notify the client of an event indicating a change to the first object; and

a gating module to determine if a specified time period has elapsed since an update to the cached version of the first object after receipt of the event.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a cache updater to update the cached version of the first object if the specified time period has elapsed.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the gating module includes a timekeeper to determine if the specified time period has elapsed.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cached version of the first object includes:

a label to identify the first object; and

a value to identify the value of the first object.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cached version of the first object includes a relationship between the first object and a cached version of a second object in the local cache.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the persistent search module includes a register to store a registration entry for the client to receive a notification of an event occurring to the first object.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data set is implemented in accordance with a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

8. A computer-implemented method for updating a local cache of information stored on a server, comprising:

querying a data set on the server, caching the results of the query in a cache on a client computer;

registering to listen for events;

receiving an event;

determining if a specified time interval has elapsed since the event was received; and

updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein:

caching the results of the query include caching an object on a client computer;

registering to listen for events includes registering to listen for events indicating a change to the cached object;

receiving an event includes receiving an event indicating a change to the cached object;

determining if a specified time interval has elapsed includes determining if a specified time interval has elapsed since event was received; and

updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed includes updating the cached object.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed includes querying the data set on the server.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising waiting for a second event if the specified time interval has not elapsed.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second event; and

determining if the specified time interval has elapsed since the second event was received.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein querying a data set on the server includes querying a data set implemented according to a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).

14. An article, comprising a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a machine, result in:

querying a data set on the server;

caching the results of the query in a cache on a client computer;

registering to listen for events;

receiving an event;

determining if a specified time interval has elapsed since the event was received; and

updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed.

15. An article according to claim 14, wherein:

caching the results of the query include caching an object on a client computer;

registering to listen for events includes registering to listen for events indicating a change to the cached object;

receiving an event includes receiving an event indicating a change to the cached object;

determining if a specified time interval has elapsed includes determining if a specified time interval has elapsed since event was received; and

updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed includes updating the cached object.

16. An article according to claim 14, wherein updating the cache if the specified time interval has elapsed includes querying the data set on the server.

17. An article according to claim 14, further comprising waiting for a second event if the specified time interval has not elapsed.

18. An article according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second event; and

determining if the specified time interval has elapsed since the second event was received.

19. A article according to claim 14, wherein querying a data set on the server includes querying a data set implemented according to a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).