Method and System for Community Data Caching

• US 20080294745A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: Parallel Networks, LLC (epicRealm Licensing LP)
• Inventors: Chin, Bryan S., Consolver, David A., DeMasters, Gregg A., Lowery, Keith A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1051 Group master selection mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A cache module (26) at a client computer (12) controls a cache portion (28) on a storage device (24). The cache module communicates with other cache modules at other clients to form a cache community (15). The cache modules store World Wide Web or other content in the cache portions for retrieval in response to requests (32) for content from browsers (30) in the cache community. When the requested content is not available in the cache community, the requested content may be retrieved from an origin server (19) using the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for adding a client member of a network to a cache community, comprising:

sending a community request to a cache server;

receiving a community list from the cache server;

selecting a first community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria;

sending a join request to a master member in the first community meeting the best fit criteria;

determining whether the client member is permitted to join the first community.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an allow message from the master member of the first community, the allow message indicating that the client member is permitted to join the first community.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the client member to a member list of the first community in accordance with the allow message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a deny message from the master member of the first community, the deny message indicating that the client member is not permitted to join the first community.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the client member is not permitted to join the first community in response to not receiving any communication from the master member within a predetermined time period after sending the join request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a second community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria in response to the client member not being permitted to join the first community.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a local community with the client member as a master member of the local community in response to no community in the community list satisfying the best fit criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a local community with the client member as a master member of the local community in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a probe message to the network in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a probe response to the probe message;

attempting to join a community associated with the originator of the probe response.

11. A system for adding a client member of a network to a cache community, comprising:

means for sending a community request to a cache server;

means for receiving a community list from the cache server;

means for selecting a first community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria;

means for sending a join request to a master member in the first community meeting the best fit criteria;

means for determining whether the client member is permitted to join the first community.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for sending a probe message to the network in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server;

means for receiving a probe response to the probe message;

means for attempting to join a community associated with the originator of the probe response.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving an allow message from the master member of the first community, the allow message indicating that the client member is permitted to join the first community;

means for receiving a deny message from the master member of the first community, the deny message indicating that the client member is not permitted to join the first community.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

means for selecting a second community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria in response to the client member not being permitted to join the first community.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

means for establishing a local community with the client member as a master member of the local community in response to no community in the community list satisfying the best fit criteria or in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the code is further operable to:

establish a local community with the client member as a master member of the local community in response to no community in the community list satisfying the best fit criteria or in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server.

16. A computer readable storage medium including code for adding a client member of a network to a cache community, the code operable to:

send a community request to a cache server;

receive a community list from the cache server;

select a first community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria;

send a join request to a master member in the first community meeting the best fit criteria;

determine whether the client member is permitted to join the first community.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for sending a probe message to the network in response to not receiving the community list from the cache server;

means for receiving a probe response to the probe message;

means for attempting to join a community associated with the originator of the probe response.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

means for receiving an allow message from the master member of the first community, the allow message indicating that the client member is permitted to join the first community;

means for receiving a deny message from the master member of the first community, the deny message indicating that the client member is not permitted to join the first community.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the code is further operable to:

select a second community to join from the community list that falls within a best fit criteria in response to the client member not being permitted to join the first community.