METHOD, APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR MINIMIZING INVALID CACHE NOTIFICATION EVENTS IN A DISTRIBUTED CACHING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080126827A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Keith Martin, Charles Philip Fricano, Daniel Christopher Shupp
• Original Assignee: Brian Keith Martin, Charles Philip Fricano, Daniel Christopher Shupp
• Inventors: FRICANO, CHARLES PHILIP, Martin, Brian Keith, Shupp, Daniel Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0808 with cache invalidating means G06F12/0815 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A distributed cache management system that minimizes invalid cache notification events is provided. A cache management system in a sending device processes outgoing cache notification events by adding information about the source server'"'"'s clock. A cache management system in the receiving device then uses this information to adjust event information once the event is received.

Claims

1. A method for managing a cache in a distributed caching environment, the method comprising:

receiving a cache notification event from a sending device, wherein the cache notification event includes time relative information and a clock value for the sending device indicating a time the cache notification event was generated;

determining a clock delta by determining a difference between a local clock value and the clock value for the sending device; and

adjusting the time relative information in the cache notification event based upon the clock delta to time correct the cache notification event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the cache notification event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

discarding the cache notification event if the cache notification event is invalid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cache notification event is one of an add event, an update event, and an invalidation event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time relative information is an expiration value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the expiration value is one of a discrete time and an amount of time relative to a created time.

7. An apparatus for managing a cache in a distributed caching environment, the apparatus comprising:

an event auditor for receiving a cache notification event from a sending device, wherein the cache notification event includes time relative information and a clock value for the sending device indicating a time the cache notification event was generated; and

a cache auditor for determining a clock delta by determining a difference between a local clock value and the clock value for the sending device, and for adjusting the time relative information in the cache notification event based upon the clock delta to time correct the cache notification event.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for validating wherein the cache auditor further validates the cache notification event.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for discarding wherein the cache auditor further discards the cache notification event if the cache notification event is invalid.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cache notification event is one of an add event, an update event, and an invalidation event.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the time relative information is an expiration value.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the expiration value is one of a discrete time and an amount of time relative to a created time.

13-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A computer program product, in a computer recordable-type media readable medium, for managing a cache in a distributed caching environment, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a cache notification event from a sending device, wherein the cache notification event includes time relative information and a clock value for the sending device indicating a time the cache notification event was generated;

instructions for determining a clock delta by determining a difference between a local clock value and the clock value for the sending device; and

instructions for adjusting the time relative information in the cache notification event based upon the clock delta to time correct the cache notification event.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the time relative information is an expiration value.