Method and apparatus for managing internal caches and external caches in a data processing system

• US 6,507,891 B1
• Filed: 07/22/1999
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dantzig, Paul Michael, Copeland, George Prentice, Iyengar, Arun Kwangil, Challenger, James R. H., McClain, Matthew Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US09/359,275
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 711/122, 711/133, 711/134, 711/136, 711/124, 711/119, 711/154, 711/156, 711/147, 709/104, 709/226
• US Class Current: 711/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache. A set of fragments is received for caching. A location is identified to store each fragment within the plurality of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment. The set of fragments is stored in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

receiving a set of fragments for caching;

identifying a location to store each fragment within the set of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing information in the location of each fragment to form fragment data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment top level fragment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the top level fragment is stored in the external cache.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment containing a portion of a page.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fragment is stored in the internal cache.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a location comprises:

identifying a fragment to be stored in the internal cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is greater than a threshold value; and

identifying a fragment to be stored in the external cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is less than or equal to a threshold value.

8. A data processing system for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving a set of fragments for caching;

identifying means for identifying a location to store each fragment within the set of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

storing means for storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 further comprising:

storing means for storing information in the location of each fragment to form fragment data.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment top level fragment.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the top level fragment is stored in the external cache.

12. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the set of fragments includes a fragment containing a portion of a page.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the fragment is stored in the internal cache.

14. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the means of identifying a location comprises:

first identifying means for identifying a fragment to be stored in the internal cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is greater than a threshold value; and

second identifying means for identifying a fragment to be stored in the external cache if the rate of change of data in the fragment is less than or equal to a threshold value.

15. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for caching data in an internal cache and in an external cache, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving a set of fragments for caching;

second instructions for identifying a location to store each fragment within the plurality of fragments based on a rate of change of data in each fragment; and

third instructions for storing the set of fragments in the internal cache and the external cache using the location identified for each fragment within the plurality of fragments.