Intelligent content precaching

• US 6,917,960 B1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group), JLBE Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jibe Networks, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Dittia, Zubin, Decasper, Dan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/566,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-218, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/10, 711/140, 711/150
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

A method and apparatus for content precaching is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises periodically checking servers in a networked environment for new content based on a profile, storing content identified as new on the servers in a cache accessible by an network access gateway, the network access gateway thereafter detecting whether a request is for at least a portion of the identified new content previously stored in the cache, and returning the at least a portion of the identified new content from the cache.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

building the profile by manually configuring the profile, wherein manually configuring the profile comprises setting the profile to cause new content to be identified and stored in the cache prior to a present time;

periodically checking servers in an external networked environment for new content based on a profile;

storing content identified as new on the servers in a cache accessible by a network access gateway;

the network access gateway thereafter detecting whether a request received from a client over a local network is for at least a portion of the identified new content previously stored in the cache; and

returning the at least a portion of the identified new content to the client over the local network from the cache without having to access the servers again.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the network access gateway builds the profile.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein building a profile comprises tracking an access pattern of an individual.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein tracking the access pattern comprises tracking web sites the individual accesses, the time the individual accesses the web sites, and the frequency of access by the individual to the web sites.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein building a profile comprises manually configuring the profile.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the present time comprises a time of each day.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein building the profile comprises a network manager building the profile.

8. The method defined in claim 1 wherein building the profile comprises an application service provider building the profile.

9. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the profile comprises a time indication for each content to indicate a time at which the most recent copy of the content in the cache had been obtained.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein building the profile comprises a content provider building the profile.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the profile comprises a list of content.

12. The method defined in claim 8 wherein the profile indicates the servers to be checked for new content.

13. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the request comprises a web page request.

14. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the cache is local to the network access gateway.

15. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the network access gateway provides access to the networked environment for at least one host.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein one or more hosts are coupled to the LAN.

17. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the network access gateway forwarding the request to the networked environment to a server address in the request after determining that the at least a portion of the identified new content previously is not stored in the cache.

18. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the network access gateway interfaces a local area network (LAN) to the networked environment.

19. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising pushing the new content to the cache.

20. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising downloading the new content for storage in the cache.

21. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the network access gateway comprises a service gateway.

22. The method defined in claim 21 further comprising:

the cache contacting the servers identified by the profile.

23. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising at least one server pushing a portion of the new content to the cache.

24. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the cache pulling a portion of the new content from at least one server.

25. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the network access gateway comprises an end point of a network connection.

26. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the servers providing an indication as to the new content;

and the network access gateway determining to download the new content and store the new content in the cache.

27. The method defined in claim 26 further comprising the servers running a daemon to identify new content.

28. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the servers providing a summary of content changes;

and the network access gateway determining to download the new content and store the new content in the cache based on the summary.

29. The method defined in claim 28 further comprising the servers providing a list of resource locators to the network access gateway;

and the network access gateway comparing the list to the profile and downloading only updated objects.

30. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising injecting the profile into the networked environment to a profile aggregator.

31. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising a server aggregating new content for a plurality of network access gateways.

32. The method defined in claim 31 further comprising the server multicasting the new content to the plurality of network access gateways.

33. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising a network manager pushing additional content along with the new content to be stored in the cache.

34. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

the network access gateway pushing the profile to a cache in the networked environment; and

the cache obtaining the new content specified by the profile.

35. An apparatus comprising:

means for building the profile by manually configuring the profile, wherein the means for manually configuring the profile comprises means for setting the profile to cause new content to be identified and stored in the cache prior to a present time;

means for checking servers in an external networked environment for new content based on a profile;

means for storing content identified as new on the servers in a cache accessible by a network access gateway;

means for detecting via the network access gateway whether a request received from a client over a local network is for at least a portion of the identified new content previously stored in the cache; and

means for returning the at least a portion of the identified new content to the client over the local network from the cache without having to access the servers again.

36. The apparatus defined in claim 35 wherein the means for building a profile comprises means for tracking an access pattern of an individual.

37. The apparatus defined in claim 36 wherein the means for tracking the access pattern comprises means for tracking web sites the individual accesses, the time the individual accesses the web sites, and the frequency of access by the individual to the web sites.

38. The apparatus defined in claim 35 wherein the request comprises a web page request.

39. The apparatus defined in claim 35 wherein the means for precaching is local to the network access gateway.

40. The apparatus defined in claim 35 wherein the means for network access gateway forwards the request to the networked environment to a server address in the request after determining that the at least a portion of the identified new content previously is not stored in the cache.

41. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for pushing the new content to the cache.

42. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for downloading the new content for storage in the cache.

43. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for providing an indication as to what content is new;

and means for downloading the new content and storing the new content in the cache.

44. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for providing a summary of content changes;

and means for downloading the new content and storing the new content in the cache based on the summary.

45. The apparatus defined in claim 44 further comprising means for providing a list of resource locators to an network access gateway;

and the network access gateway comparing the list to the profile and downloading only updated objects.

46. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for sending the profile into the networked environment to a profile aggregator.

47. The apparatus defined in claim 35 further comprising means for multicasting the new content to the plurality of network access gateways.

48. An article of manufacture having one or more recordable medium with executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

build the profile by manually configuring the profile, wherein manually configuring the profile comprises setting the profile to cause new content to be identified and stored in the cache prior to a present time;

check servers in an external networked environment for new content based on a profile;

store content identified as new on the servers in a cache accessible by a network access gateway;

detect via the network access gateway whether a request received from a client over a local network is for at least a portion of the identified new content previously stored in the cache; and

return the at least a portion of the identified new content to the client over the local network from the cache without having to access the servers again.

49. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to track an access pattern of an individual.

50. The article of manufacture defined in claim 49 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to track web sites the individual accesses, the time the individual accesses the web sites, and the frequency of access by the individual to the web sites.

51. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to generate a web page request.

52. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to forward the request to the networked environment to a server address in the request after determining that the at least a portion of the identified new content previously is not stored in the cache.

53. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to forward the request to the networked environment to push the new content to the cache.

54. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to forward the request to the networked environment to download the new content for storage in the cache.

55. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to provide an indication as to the new content;

and the network access gateway determining to download the new content and store the new content in the cache.

56. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to provide a summary of content changes;

and the network access gateway determining to download the new content and store the new content in the cache based on the summary.

57. The article of manufacture defined in claim 56 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to provide a list of resource locators to the network access gateway;

and the network access gateway comparing the list to the profile and downloading only updated objects.

58. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to inject the profile into the networked environment.

59. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to multicast the new content to the plurality of network access gateways.

60. The article of manufacture defined in claim 48 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

push via the network access gateway the profile to a cache in the networked environment; and

obtain the new content specified by the profile.

61. The article of manufacture defined in claim 60 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

contact the servers identified by the profile.

62. The article of manufacture defined in claim 61 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to push a portion of the new content to the cache.

63. The article of manufacture defined in claim 61 further comprising executable instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to pull a portion of the new content from at least one server.