MANAGING CACHE AT A COMPUTER

• US 20130086197A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ho, Wesley J., Price, Jeffrey K., Wood, Stanley C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• 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 2212/1021 Hit rate improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/154 Networked environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/602 Details relating to cache prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/62 Details of cache specific to multiprocessor cache arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method and system for managing caching at a computer. A computer receives a file from a storage device on a network in response to a request by a first user. The computer may then determine if other users of the computer are likely to request the file, based upon a type of the file and a type of the network. If other users are likely to request the file, the computer may then cache the file at the computer. In one embodiment, the computer may determine if other users of the computer are likely to request the file based upon access permissions to the file at a source of the file. In another embodiment, the computer may determine if other users of the computer are likely to request the file based upon if the file has been previously cached at the computer.

Claims

1. A method for managing caching at a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to a request by a first user, receiving a file at the computer from a storage device on a network;

determining, by one or more processors, if other users of the computer are likely to request the file, based upon a type of the file and a type of the network; and

if so, caching the file at the computer; and

if not, not caching the file at the computer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and other users of the computer are respective application programs.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if other users of the computer are likely to request the file further comprises the step of determining, by one or more processors, access permissions to the file at a source of the file.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if other users of the computer are likely to request the file further comprises the step of determining, by one or more processors, if the file has been previously cached at the computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the file has been previously cached at the computer, the method further comprises the step of determining, by one or more processors, if the previously cached file is current.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining if the previously cached file is current comprises comparing a characteristic selected from the group consisting of file size, checksum, and date stamp.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining if other users of the computer are likely to request the file further comprises the step of comparing the file type and network type to respective preferences stored at the computer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cached file is provided to a second user when the computer is not connected to the network.

9. A method for managing caching at a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to a request by a first user, receiving a file at the computer from a storage device via a network; and

determining, by one or more processors, whether to cache the file at the computer based upon access permissions to the file.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the access permissions are stored at the computer.

11. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a computer readable tangible storage device coupled to the processor;

program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the memory, to;

receive a file from a network;

determine if users are likely to request the file, based upon a type of the file and a type of the network; and

if users are likely to request the file, cache the file; and

if not, not caching the file.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the memory, to determine if users are likely to request the file based upon access permissions to the file.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the memory, to determine if users are likely to request the file based upon whether the file has been previously cached.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein if the file has been previously cached, the system further comprises program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the memory, to determine if the cached file is current.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising program instructions, stored on the storage device for execution by the processor via the memory, to provide the cached file to a user when the system is not connected to the network.