Method and system for efficiently storing web pages for quick downloading at a remote device

• US 6,272,534 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technologies Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Guha, Aloke
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/362,013
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/217, 709/203, 709/226, 709/212, 709/213, 709/214, 711/117, 711/122
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A web server for efficiently storing web pages for quick downloading at a remote device comprises a fast memory, a disk memory and a storage device. The fast memory stores a first plurality of web pages and receives a first signal from the remote device indicating selection of one of the first plurality of web pages. The disk memory stores a second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and transfers all of the second plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected one of the first plurality of web pages to the fast memory in response to the first signal. The disk memory also transmits a second signal to the storage device in response to the first signal. The storage device stores a third plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and transfers all of the third plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected ones of the second plurality of web pages to the disk memory in response to the second signal. In addition, the fast memory deletes each of the non-selected first plurality of web pages in response to the first signal so as to allow for memory reuse and to aid in quickly downloading selected web pages to the remote device.

Claims

1. In a computer network including a server computer having a fast memory for storing a first plurality of web pages, a disk memory for storing a second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages, the computer in communication with a storage device storing a third plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages, a method for efficiently storing web pages for quick down-loading at a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from the remote device at the server computer indicating selection of one of the first plurality of web pages;

transferring all of the second plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected one of the first plurality of web pages from the disk memory to the fast memory in response to the first signal;

transmitting a second signal from the disk memory to the storage device in response to the first signal; and

transferring all of the third plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected ones of the first plurality of web pages from the storage device to the disk memory in response to the second signal wherein anticipated web pages linked to any selected web pages by the remote device are quickly accessible by the remote device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein transferring all of the second plurality of web pages includes deleting each of the non-selected first plurality of web pages in the fast memory and wherein transferring all of the third plurality of web pages includes deleting each of the non-selected second plurality of web pages in the disk memory.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages includes:

determining one of an average size and a minimum size of each web page linked to each of the first plurality of web pages; and

determining a reaction time of a client operating the remote device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

determining an average propagation delay between the client and the web server;

determining an average link bandwidth between the client and the web server; and

determining a time to access a partition in the storage device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the third plurality of web pages includes storing the third plurality of web pages at a horizontal partition boundary.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the third plurality of web pages includes storing the third plurality of web pages at a vertical partition boundary.

7. A storage efficient web server for providing quick downloading of web pages at a remote device, the web server comprising:

a fast memory for storing a first plurality of web pages and for receiving a first signal from the remote device indicating selection of one of the first plurality of web pages;

a disk memory for storing a second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and for transferring all of the second plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected one of the first plurality of web pages to the fast memory in response to the first signal, the disk memory further for transmitting a second signal in response to the first signal; and

a storage device for storing a third plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and for transferring all of the third plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected ones of the second plurality of web pages to the disk memory in response to the second signal wherein anticipated web pages linked to any selected web pages by the remote device are quickly accessible by the remote device.

8. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the fast memory is further operative to delete each of the non-selected first plurality of web pages in response to the first signal, and wherein the disk memory is further operative to delete each of the non-selected second plurality of web pages in response to the first signal.

9. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the disk memory, in storing the second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages, stores the second plurality of web pages based on one of an average size and a minimum size of each web page linked to each of the first plurality of web pages and a reaction time of a client operating the remote device.

10. The web server as recited in claim 9 wherein the disk memory is further operative to store the second plurality of web pages based on an average propagation delay between the client and the web server, an average link bandwidth between the client and the web server, and an access time to access a partition in the storage device.

11. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the storage device, in storing the third plurality of web pages, is operative to store the third plurality utilizing a horizontal partition boundary.

12. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the storage device, in storing the third plurality of web pages, is operative to store the third plurality utilizing a vertical partition boundary.

13. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the fast memory is a cache.

14. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the fast memory is a random access memory.

15. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the disk memory is an internal memory.

16. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the disk memory is an external memory.

17. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the disk memory is a hard drive.

18. The web server as recited in claim 16 wherein the disk memory is a redundant array of inexpensive disks.

19. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the storage device is a sequential device.

20. The web server as recited in claim 7 wherein the storage device is a random access device.

21. In a computer network including a server computer having a first storage device for storing a first plurality of web pages, a second storage device for storing a second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages, the computer in communication with a third storage device for storing a third plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages, the first, second, and third storage devices arranged in a three tier hierarchy having successively lower access speed and larger capacity, a method for efficiently storing web pages for quick downloading at a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from the remote device at the server computer indicating selection of one of the first plurality of web pages;

transferring all of the second plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected one of the first plurality of web pages from the second storage device to the first storage device in response to the first signal;

transmitting a second signal from the second storage device to the third storage device in response to the first signal; and

transferring all of the third plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected ones of the first plurality of web pages from the third storage device to the second storage device in response to the second signal wherein anticipated web pages linked to any selected web pages by the remote device are quickly accessible by the remote device.

22. A system for providing quick downloading of web pages at a remote device, the system comprising:

a server computer;

a first storage device in communication with the server computer for storing a first plurality of web pages and for receiving a first signal from the remote device indicating selection of one of the first plurality of web pages;

a second storage device in communication with the first storage device and having a lower access speed and larger storage capacity than the first storage device, the second storage device for storing a second plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and for transferring all of the second plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected one of the first plurality of web pages to the first storage device in response to the first signal, the second storage device further for transmitting a second signal in response to the first signal; and

a third storage device in communication with the first storage device and having a lower access speed and larger storage capacity than the second storage device, the third storage device for storing a third plurality of web pages linked to the first plurality of web pages and for transferring all of the third plurality of web pages that are linked to the selected ones of the first plurality of web pages to the second storage device in response to the second signal, wherein anticipated web pages linked to any selected web pages by the remote device are quickly accessible by the remote device.