Web object caching and apparatus for performing the same

• US 6,370,620 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Kun-Lung, Yu, Philip Shi-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Portka, Gary J.
• Application Number:
  US09/238,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 711/120, 711/124, 711/129, 711/130, 711/132, 709/213, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216
• US Class Current: 711/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/123 with age lists, e.g. queue, most recently used [MRU] list or least recently used [LRU] list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A plurality of web objects are cached. A first object is within an assigned web partition. A second object is outside of the assigned web partition. The first object is placed in a first amount of space within the cache. A copy of the second object is placed in a second amount of space within the cache. The first amount of space includes and is larger than the second amount of space.

Claims

1. A method for caching a plurality of web objects, wherein one of said objects is written an assigned web partition and another of said objects is outside of said assigned web partition, said method comprising the steps of:

placing said one of said objects in a first amount of space of a cache, wherein said first amount of space is in the form of a stack and a further stack;

placing said another of said objects in a second amount of space of said cache, wherein said second amount of space is in the form of said stack, wherein said first amount of space includes and is larger than said second amount of space;

moving said one of said object down said stack as any of said objects is pushed onto said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is said stack;

moving said one of said objects maintained in said cache to the top of said stack responsive to said one of said objects being accessed;

moving said one of said objects from the bottom of said stack to the top of said further stack as any of said objects is pushed onto the top of said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects in said further stack;

wherein said one of said objects and said another objects are each pushed onto said stack.

2. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, wherein said one of said objects is removed from said cache using a value function.

3. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to 2, wherein said value function is based upon times of access to said cache since the last reference to said one of said objects.

4. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 2, wherein said value function is a least-recently-used (LRU) algorithm.

5. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, wherein said another of said objects is removed from said cache using a value function.

6. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to 5, wherein said value function is based upon times of access to said cache since the last reference to said another of said objects.

7. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 5, wherein said value function is a least-recently-used (LRU) algorithm.

8. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 2, wherein said one of said objects is situated within said stack and said further stack in accordance with said value function.

9. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

moving said another of said object down a stack as any of said objects are pushed onto said stack;

maintaining said another of said object in said cache as long as said another of said objects is in said stack;

moving said another of said object maintained in said cache to the top of said stack responsive to said another of said objects being accessed; and

discarding said another of said objects if said another of said object is at the bottom of said stack and any of said objects are pushed onto the top of said stack.

10. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

moving said object from said further stack to the top of said stack responsive to said object being accessed.

11. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

discarding said object if said object is at the bottom of said further stack and any of said objects is pushed onto said further stack.

12. A method for caching a plurality of web objects according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring any of said objects from said cache to a hand-held device.

13. A cache for a plurality of web objects, wherein one of said objects is within an assigned web partition and another of said objects is outside of said assigned web partition, comprising:

a first amount of space in said cache for placement of said one of said objects, wherein said first amount of space is in the form of a stack; and

a second amount of space in said cache for placement of said another of said objects, wherein said second amount of space is in the form of said stack;

wherein said first amount of space includes and is larger than said second amount of space;

wherein said first amount of space includes and is larger than said second amount of space;

wherein said object is maintained in said cache as long as said object is in one of said stack and said further stack, and wherein said objects is recievable to said further stack from said stack.

14. A cache according to claim 13, wherein said one of said objects and said another of said objects are pushed onto said stack.

15. A cache according to claim 13, wherein said another of said objects is deleted from said cache when said another of said objects is removed from said stack.

16. A cache according to claim 13, wherein ones of said objects are referenced by a hand-held device.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for caching a plurality of web objects, wherein one of said objects is within an assigned web partition and another of said object is outside of said assigned web partition, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacturer comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect;

placing said one of said objects in a first amount of space of a cache, wherein said first amount of space is in the form of a stack and a further stack;

placing said another of said objects in a second amount of space of said cache, wherein said second amount of space is in the form of said stack;

wherein said first amount of said space includes and is larger than second amount of space;

moving said one of said objects down said stack as any of said objects is pushed onto said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said stack;

moving said one of said objects maintained in said cache to the top of said stack responsive to said one of said objects being accessed;

moving said one of said objects from the bottom of said stack to the top of said further stack as any of said objects is pushed onto the top of said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said further stack;

wherein said one of said objects and said another of objects are pushed onto said stack.

18. An article of manufacturer as recited in claim 17, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacturer further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect:

removing said one of said objects from said cache using a value function.

19. An article of manufacturer as recited in claim 17, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacturer further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect:

removing said another of said objects from said cache using a value function.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing caching of a plurality of web objects, wherein one of said objects is within an assigned web partition and another of said objects is outside of said assigned web partition, computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect;

placing said one of said objects in a first amount of space of a cache, wherein said first amount of space is in the form of a stack and a further stack;

placing said another of said objects in a second amount of space of said cache, wherein said second amount of space is in the form of said stack;

wherein said first amount of space includes and is larger than said second amount of space;

moving said one of said objects down said stack as any of said objects is pushed onto said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said stack;

moving said one of said objects maintained in said cache to the top of said stack responsive to said one of said objects being accessed;

moving said one of said objects from the bottom of said stack to the top of said further stack as any of said objects is pushed onto the top of said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said further stack;

wherein said one of said objects and said another of objects are each pushed onto said stack.

21. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for caching a plurality of web objects, wherein one of said objects is within an assigned web partition and another of said objects is outside of said assigned web partition, said method comprising the steps of:

placing said one of said objects in a first amount of space of a cache, wherein said first amount of space is in the form of a stack and a further stack;

placing said another of said objects in a second amount of space of said cache, wherein said second amount of space is in the form of said stack;

wherein said first amount of space includes and is larger than said second amount of space;

moving said one of said objects down said stack as any of said objects is pushed onto said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said stack;

moving said one of said objects maintained in said cache to the top of said stack responsive to said one of said objects being accessed;

moving said one of said objects from the bottom of said stack to the top of said further stack as any of said objects is pushed onto the top of said stack;

maintaining said one of said objects in said cache as long as said one of said objects is in said further stack;

wherein said one of said objects and said another of objects are each pushed onto said stack.