MANAGING A LOCAL CACHE FOR AN ONLINE CONTENT-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140337458A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Barton, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 10,334,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for managing a local cache on a computing device that stores content items for an online content-management system. These techniques generally operate by gathering information that is available on the computing device (such as information about user actions, information about which applications are executing, and information about the location of the computing device) and using this information to identify relevant content items that are likely to be accessed in the near future. This enables the system to perform cache-management operations at the local cache to facilitate rapidly accessing the relevant content items through the local cache.

Claims

1. A method for managing a local cache that stores content items for an online content-management system, the method comprising:

obtaining usage data associated with a computing device that hosts the local cache;

applying one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items; and

performing a cache-management operation at the local cache to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through the local cache.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data includes one or more of the following:

a user action performed by the user while manipulating the computing device;

an application-execution pattern for one or more applications executed by the computing device; and

a location of the computing device while the computing device is in use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the cache-management operation includes one or more of the following:

prefetching a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into the local cache;

reserving space for the one or more relevant content items in the local cache;

preventing a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the local cache;

updating a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep a relevant content item in the local cache; and

allocating space in the local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the method further comprises obtaining a user preference for caching a type of content item;

and

wherein performing the cache-management operation includes considering the user preference.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the user action includes one or more of the following:

the user interacting with an application associated with the one or more relevant content items;

the user moving the computing device to a location associated with the one or more relevant content items; and

the user indicating a preference for caching a type of content item, wherein the one or more relevant content items include content items of the preferred type.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the user action comprises a pattern of user actions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises one of:

identifying one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location;

identifying a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location; and

identifying content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content item can include one or more of:

an image;

an audio clip;

a video clip;

a document; and

a data file.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for managing a local cache that stores content items for an online content-management system, the method comprising:

obtaining usage data associated with a computing device that hosts the local cache;

applying one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items; and

performing a cache-management operation at the local cache to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through the local cache.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the usage data includes one or more of the following:

a user action performed by the user while manipulating the computing device;

an application-execution pattern for one or more applications executed by the computing device; and

a location of the computing device while the computing device is in use.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein performing the cache-management operation includes one or more of the following:

prefetching a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into the local cache;

reserving space for the one or more relevant content items in the local cache;

preventing a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the local cache;

updating a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep a relevant content item in the local cache; and

allocating space in the local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9,

wherein the method further comprises obtaining a user preference for caching a type of content item;

and

wherein performing the cache-management operation includes considering the user preference.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the user action includes one or more of the following:

the user interacting with an application associated with the one or more relevant content items;

the user moving the computing device to a location associated with the one or more relevant content items; and

the user indicating a preference for caching a type of content item, wherein the one or more relevant content items include content items of the preferred type.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the user action comprises a pattern of user actions.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises one of:

identifying one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location;

identifying a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location; and

identifying content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location.

16. A system that manages a local cache that stores content items for an online content-management system, comprising:

a computing device comprising at least one processor and a memory;

a content-management client for the online content-management system that includes the local cache; and

a cache controller for the local cache configured to,

obtain usage data associated with a computing device that hosts the local cache,

apply one or more rules to the usage data to identify one or more relevant content items, and

perform a cache-management operation at the local cache to facilitate accessing the one or more relevant content items from the online content-management system through the local cache.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the usage data includes one or more of the following:

a user action performed by the user while manipulating the computing device;

an application-execution pattern for one or more applications executed by the computing device; and

a location of the computing device while the computing device is in use.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein while performing the cache-management operation, the cache controller is configured to do one or more of the following:

prefetch a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item into the local cache;

reserve space for the one or more relevant content items in the local cache;

prevent a relevant content item or a portion of a relevant content item from being removed from the local cache;

update a cache-replacement policy for the local cache to keep a relevant content item in the local cache; and

allocate space in the local cache for one or more applications executed by the computing device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein while performing the cache-management operation, the cache controller is configured to obtain and consider a user preference for caching a type of content item.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the user action includes one or more of the following:

the user interacting with an application associated with the one or more relevant content items;

the user moving the computing device to a location associated with the one or more relevant content items; and

the user indicating a preference for caching a type of content item, wherein the one or more relevant content items include content items of the preferred type.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the user action comprises a pattern of user actions.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein identifying the one or more relevant content items comprises one of:

identifying one or more content items that were accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location;

identifying a type of content item that was accessed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location; and

identifying content items associated with one or more applications that were executed when the computing device was previously in proximity to a current location.