SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CACHING AND SERVING DYNAMIC CONTENT

• US 20080320225A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panzer, John, Rao, Mohan, Ramamurthy, Vishwanathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A web server and a shared caching server are described for serving dynamic content to users of at least two different types, where the different types of users receive different versions of the dynamic content. A version of the dynamic content includes a validation header, such as an ETag, that stores information indicative of the currency of the dynamic content and information indicative of a user type for which the version of the dynamic content is intended. In response to a user request for the dynamic content, the shared caching server sends a validation request to the web server with the validation header information. The web server determines, based on the user type of the requestor and/or on the currency of the cached dynamic content whether to instruct the shared caching server to send the cached content or to send updated content for serving to the user.

Claims

1. A system for providing access to dynamic web content comprising:

a shared caching server configured to receive a web page request from a user for access to a web page, wherein the web page request includes information about the requested web page and about the user, and wherein the shared caching server includes a repository of cached web pages, including the requested web page, the cached web page including header information that identifies when the cached web page was last modified; and

an origin server that stores a current version of the web page, the origin server configured to receive a validation request from the shared caching server for instructions whether to send the cached version of the web page to the user or to send a modified version of the web page to the user, the validation request including information about the user and about the cached version of the web page, the origin server further comprising;

a requestor identification module configured to determine a user type associated with the request; and

a validation-header-based decision module configured to receive from the requestor identification module an indication of the user type associated with the request, the validation-header-based decision module further configured to use the information about the cached version of the web page to determine if the cached version of the web page is the current version of the web page, and to provide an instruction for the shared caching server indicating whether to use the cached version of the web page or a modified version of the web page from the origin server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information in the validation request about the cached version of the web page comprises information for a validation header from the cached version of the web page.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the validation header is an ETag header.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the validation header comprises information indicative of a user type associated with the web page.

5. A method of serving web content, the method comprising:

sending a version of a web page with a validation header to a shared caching server for caching, wherein the validation header allows a computerized determination to be made as to whether the version of the web page is a current version of the web page and as to a type of user for which the version of the web page is suitable;

receiving from the shared caching server, in response to a user request for the web page, a validation request comprising information about a user making the user request and information from the validation header from the cached version of the web page;

determining, based on the information from the validation header and on the information about the user, whether to send to the shared caching server a response that includes a modified version of the web page with a new validation header or a response that includes an instruction to use the cached version of the web page; and

sending the response to the shared caching server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the validation header is an ETag.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising using the information in the validation request to identify a user type associated with the user making the user request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing the user type associated with the user making the user request with the type of user for which the version of the web page is suitable.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing at least one current version of the web page, wherein determining whether to send a response that includes a modified version of the web page or a response that includes instructions to use the cached version of the web page further comprises determining, based at least in part on the information from the validation header, if the cached version of the web page corresponds to at least one stored current version of the web page.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing at least two current versions of the web page, wherein a first of the at least two current versions of the web page is suitable for a first type of user and wherein a second of the at least two current versions of the web page is suitable for a second type of user.

11. A method of serving cached web content, the method comprising:

caching, in a shared caching server, a version of a first web page that has a version identifier;

receiving, at the shared caching server, a request from a user to access a current version of the first web page, wherein the user may be from one of two or more different user types, and wherein users of different types receive different versions of the first web page;

sending a first validation request to an origin server, wherein the first validation request includes information indicative of the version identifier and information about the user;

receiving, at the shared caching server, a response from the origin server that includes a modified version of the first web page for sending to the user or includes instructions to send the cached version of the first web page to the user, wherein the response is generated by the origin server, based, at least in part, on at least one of the set consisting of;

a determination of the user'"'"'s user type and a determination as to whether the cached version of the first web page in the shared caching server is the current version of the first web page; and

if a modified version of the first web page is received by the shared caching server from the origin server, providing the modified version of the first web page to the user, and if no modified version of the web page is received by the shared caching server, providing the cached version of the first web page to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the version identifier comprises information indicative of a type of user for which the version of the web page is intended and information indicative of the currency of the cached version of the web page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cached version of the first web page displays a web log, and wherein the information indicative of the currency of the cached version of the first webpage comprises a count of comments in the web log as displayed in the cached version of the first web page.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the two or more different user types comprise a reader user type and an owner user type.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the shared caching server, a request from a user to access a current version of a second web page, wherein the user may be from one of two or more different user types, and wherein users of different types receive different versions of the second web page;

sending a second validation request to the origin server, wherein the second validation request includes identifier information for the second web page and information about the user; and

receiving, at the shared caching server, a response from the origin server that includes a current version of the second web page for sending to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving instructions about whether or not to cache the received current version of the second web page, based, at least in part, on an indication in the current version of the second web page of a user type for which the current version of the second web page is intended.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for serving web content, the method comprising:

sending a version of a web page with a validation header to a shared caching server for caching, wherein the validation header allows a computerized determination to be made as to whether the version of the web page is a current version of the web page and as to a type of user for which the version of the web page is suitable;

receiving from the shared caching server, in response to a user request for the web page, a validation request comprising information about a user making the user request and information from the validation header from the cached version of the web page;

determining, based on the validation header information and on the information about the user, whether to send to the shared caching server a response that includes a modified version of the web page with a new validation header or a response that includes an instruction to use the cached version of the web page; and

sending the response to the shared caching server.

18. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for serving cached web content, the method comprising:

caching, in a shared caching server, a version of a web page that has a version identifier;

receiving, at the shared caching server, a request from a user to access a current version of the web page, wherein the user may be from one of two or more different user types, and wherein users of different types receive different versions of the web page;

sending a validation request to an origin server, wherein the validation request includes information indicative of the version identifier and information about the user;

receiving, at the shared caching server, a response from the origin server that includes a modified version of the web page for sending to the user or includes instructions to send the cached version of the web page to the user, wherein the response is generated by the origin server, based, at least in part, on at least one of the set consisting of;

a determination of the user'"'"'s user type and a determination as to whether the web page in the shared caching server is the current version of the web page; and

if a modified version of the web page is received by the shared caching server from the origin server, providing the modified version of the web page to the user, and if no modified version of the web page is received by the shared caching server, providing the cached version of the web page to the user.

19. An origin server for providing access to dynamic web content, comprising:

a storage module configured to store a current version of at least one web page;

a request module configured to receive a validation request from a shared caching server, wherein the validation request includes information about a user requesting access to the web page and information about a cached version of the web page available to the shared caching server;

a requestor identification module configured to determine a user type associated with the request; and

a validation-header-based decision module configured to receive from the requestor identification module an indication of the user type associated with the request, the validation-header-based decision module further configured to use the information about the cached version of the web page and/or user type to determine whether to serve the cached version of the web page or a modified version of the web page from the origin server, and to provide an instruction for the shared caching server.

20. A shared caching server, comprising:

an access request module configured to receive a request from a user for access to a web page wherein the request includes information about the requested web page and about the user;

a repository of cached web pages, including the requested web page, the cached web page including header information that identifies when the cached web page was last modified; and

a validation send module configured to send a validation request to an origin server for instructions whether to serve the cached version of the web page to the user or to send a modified version of the web page to the user, the validation request including information about the user and about the cached version of the web page.

21. The shared caching server of claim 20, further comprising:

a validation receive module configured to receive an instruction from the origin server in response to the validation request; and

a serve module configured to provide access to a version of the requested web page in accordance with the instruction from the origin server.