Methods and systems for caching data communications over computer networks

• US 8,185,612 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZephyrTel, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PeerApp Ltd. (ZephyrTel, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arolovitch, Alan, Bachar, Shmuel, Shemer, Shay, Gavish, Dror Moshe, Grin, Shahar Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/341,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 144 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709208-216, 711/100
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of caching multi-session data communications in a computer network, includes: (a) receiving, intercepting, or monitoring data sessions between a client and metadata services; (b) analyzing queries and responses exchanged between the client and the metadata services to discover metadata for a desired content object; (c) receiving or intercepting subsequent data sessions between the client and content sources; (d) identifying a data protocol used by the client and identifying data queries within the data sessions; (e) identifying the content object requested by the client in the data queries; and (f) determining if the content object is stored in cache and, if so, sending the content object stored in cache to the client, and, if not, sending the data queries to the content sources, storing data responses from the content sources, and sending the data responses to the client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of caching multi-session data communications in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, intercepting, or monitoring one or more data sessions between a client executing a multi-session application for retrieving a desired content object and one or more metadata services, said client communicating with the one or more metadata services to discover metadata for the content object;

(b) analyzing queries and responses exchanged between the client and the one of more metadata services to discover metadata for the content object;

(c) receiving or intercepting subsequent data sessions between the client and content sources;

(d) identifying a data protocol used by the client and identifying data queries within the data sessions;

(e) identifying the content object or portions thereof requested by the client in the data queries; and

(f) determining if the content object or portions thereof are stored in cache and, if so, sending the content object or portions thereof stored in cache to the client, and, if not, sending the data queries to the content sources, storing data responses from the content sources, and sending the data responses to the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises analyzing queries and responses exchanged between the client and the one of more metadata services on an ongoing basis to discover metadata for the content object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises intercepting only subsequent data sessions having content sources that are known from the metadata.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises using the metadata to identify the data protocol used by the client and to identify data queries within the subsequent data sessions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises using the metadata to detect and decrypt an encrypted protocol used in data sessions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises identifying incomplete data in the queries or responses to queries, and obtaining further information from the metadata to complete the incomplete data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) comprises using the metadata to determine if the content object or portions thereof are stored in cache.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method steps are implemented in a caching service, and wherein step (f) comprises establishing at least one session with the client, said caching service being identified by the client as at least one of the content sources for the content object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) comprises using the metadata to verify the validity of the content object stored in cache prior to storing the data responses, and optionally discarding the data responses that do not match the metadata.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) comprises using the metadata to verify the validity of data responses stored in cache to determine whether a matching data response or portions thereof are stored in cache, and discarding the data responses that do not match the metadata.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata identifies addresses of content sources storing the content object or portions thereof, data protocols supported by the content sources, encryption keys for the content object or content sources, or content object structure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying metadata sent by the one or more metadata services to the client to indicate a caching service as a content source or as a metadata service for the content object.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending queries to the one or more metadata services for metadata related to the content object, and receiving and storing responses to the queries.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing metadata received or intercepted from or through monitoring of data from the one of more metadata services, and discarding stored metadata received more than a given period of time ago.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing metadata received from the one of more metadata services, and discarding stored metadata contradicting more recently received metadata.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the data protocol is associated with the client or with the session.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data protocol is identified using a signature-based protocol identification technique.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing an encrypted session with the client and/or the content sources.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the metadata to identify content sources to retrieve the content object or portions thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising validating responses from the content sources using the metadata.

21. A computer-implemented caching service for caching multi-session data communications in a computer network, said caching service being configured to:

(a) receive, intercept, or monitor one or more data sessions between a client executing a multi-session application for retrieving a desired content object and one or more metadata services, said client communicating with the one or more metadata services to discover metadata for the content object;

(b) analyze queries and responses exchanged between the client and the one of more metadata services to discover metadata for the content object;

(c) receive or intercept subsequent data sessions between the client and content sources;

(d) identify a data protocol used by the client and identify data queries within the data sessions;

(e) identify the content object or portions thereof requested by the client in the data queries; and

(f) determine if the content object or portions thereof are stored in cache and, if so, send the content object or portions thereof stored in cache to the client, and, if not, send the data queries to the content sources, store data responses from the content sources, and send the data responses to the client.