Method and system for an extensible caching framework

• US 7,188,216 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Vignette Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Afshar, Jamshid, Larsen, Brett J., Rajkumar, N. Isaac, O'Connell, Conleth, You, Puhong, Caldwell, David Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HETUL B
• Application Number:
  US10/733,798
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 711/118, 711/133, 711/159, 715/513, 715/213, 709217-219, 713/180
• US Class Current: 711/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

Systems and methods which provide an extensible caching framework are disclosed. These systems and methods may provide a caching framework which can evaluate individual parameters of a request for a particular piece of content. Modules capable of evaluating individual parameters of an incoming request may be added and removed from this framework. When a request for content is received parameters of the request can be evaluated by the framework and a cache searched for responsive content based upon this evaluation. If responsive content is not found in the cache, responsive content can be generated and stored in the cache along with associated metadata and a signature formed by the caching framework. This signature may aid in locating this content when a request for similar content is next received.

Claims

1. A method for caching, comprising:

registering a set of modules;

evaluating a set of parameters of a request, wherein each parameter is evaluated by a corresponding module;

creating a signature based on the evaluation of the set of parameters by each of the corresponding modules;

searching for responsive content in a cache based on the signature; and

if no responsive content is found in the cache, generating responsive content, storing the responsive content in the cache and storing metadata in conjunction with the responsive content such that the request can be generated from the metadata, wherein the metadata is obtained from the evaluation of one or more of the set of parameters by the corresponding module.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising delivering the responsive content to an originator of the request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a template.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising associating the request with the template.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameter is defined by the template.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

extracting data related to the parameter from the request;

and passing the data to the module.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the parameter is a query string variable, a client locale, a cookie variable, form data, a Java bean, or a user defined parameter.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the signature is formed from the module'"'"'s evaluation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter and the module pertain to capabilities of a browser initiating the request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter is a user-agent string extracted from a header in the request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the module evaluates the capabilities of the browser using an extensible markup language file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the extensible markup language file defines a list of rules which map the user-agent string to a list of browser capabilities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the list of rules may be expanded.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing template metadata and request metadata in the cache, wherein the template metadata and request metadata are associated with the responsive content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request metadata is formed from the module'"'"'s evaluation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request metadata is a list or a hash table.

18. A software system for caching, comprising machine or computer readable media containing instructions translatable for:

registering a set of modules;

evaluating a set of parameters of a request, wherein each parameter is evaluated by a corresponding module;

creating a signature based on the evaluation of the set of parameters by each of the corresponding modules;

searching for responsive content in a cache based on the signature; and

if no responsive content is found in the cache, generating responsive content, storing the responsive content in the cache and storing metadata in conjunction with the responsive content such that the request can be generated from the metadata, wherein the metadata is obtained from the evaluation of one or more of the set of parameters by the corresponding module.

19. The software system of claim 18, further comprising instructions translatable for receiving a request.

20. The software system of claim 19, further comprising instructions translatable for delivering the responsive content to an originator of the request.

21. The software system of claim 18, further comprising instructions translatable for registering a template.

22. The software system of claim 21, further comprising instructions translatable for associating the request with the template.

23. The software system of claim 22, wherein the parameter is defined by the template.

24. The software system of claim 23, further comprising instructions translatable for extracting data related to the parameter from the request, and passing the data to the module.

25. The software system of claim 24, wherein the parameter is a query string variable, a client locale, a cookie variable, form data, a Java bean, or a user defined parameter.

26. The software system of claim 24, wherein the signature is formed from the module'"'"'s evaluation.

27. The software system of claim 18, wherein the parameter and the module pertain to capabilities of a browser initiating the request.

28. The software system of claim 27, wherein the parameter is a user-agent string extracted from a header in the request.

29. The software system of claim 28, wherein the module evaluates the capabilities of the browser using an extensible markup language file.

30. The software system of claim 29, wherein the extensible markup language file defines a list of rules which map the user-agent string to a list of browser capabilities.

31. The software system of claim 30, wherein the list of rules may be expanded.

32. The software system of claim 18, further comprising instructions translatable for storing template metadata and request metadata in the cache, wherein the template metadata and request metadata are associated with the responsive content.

33. The software system of claim 32, wherein the request metadata is formed from the module'"'"'s evaluation.

34. The software system of claim 33, wherein the request metadata is a list or a hash table.

35. A method for caching, comprising:

registering a module capable of evaluating the capabilities of a browser;

evaluating a parameter of a request, wherein the parameter pertains to the capabilities of the browser which initiated the request and is evaluated by the module;

creating a signature based on the evaluation;

searching for responsive content in a cache based on the signature; and

generating responsive content and storing it in the cache if no responsive content is found in the cache; and

storing metadata in conjunction with the responsive content such that the request can be generated from the metadata, wherein the metadata is obtained from the evaluation of one or more of the set of parameters by the corresponding module.