Method and device for performing caching of dynamically generated objects in a data communication network

• US 8,495,305 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Sundarrajan, Prabakar, Khemani, Prakash, Kailash, Kailash, Soni, Ajay, Sinha, Rajiv, Annamalaisami, Saravana, Kumar, Anil, Bhushan K.R., Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HUA JASMINE
• Application Number:
  US11/324,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 711/133, 711/145, 711/144, 711/118, 711/135, 711/141, 711/E12.001, 711/E12.017, 711/E12.037, 707/202, 707/203, 709/217, 709/203, 709/219, 709/223
• US Class Current: 711/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method for maintaining a cache of dynamically generated objects. The method includes storing in the cache dynamically generated objects previously served from an originating server to a client. A communication between the client and server is intercepted by the cache. The cache parses the communication to identify an object determinant and to determine whether the object determinant indicates whether a change has occurred or will occur in an object at the originating server. The cache marks the object stored in the cache as invalid if the object determinant so indicates. If the object has been marked as invalid, the cache retrieves the object from the originating server.

Claims

1. A method for caching a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by an intermediary device located between a plurality of clients and an originating server, from the originating server, a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable generated in response to a first request from a first client of the plurality of clients;

transmitting, by the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object to the first client, responsive to the first request;

retaining, in a cache on the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable after transmitting the dynamically generated object to the first client;

receiving, by the intermediary device, a second request from a second client of the plurality of clients for the dynamically generated object responding, by the intermediary device, to the second request with the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable generated in response to the first request;

receiving, by the intermediary device, a request to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable; and

marking, by the intermediary device in response to the request to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable as invalid.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising requesting, by the originating server to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising automatically requesting, by the originating server, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable in response to a change to the dynamically generated object in the originating server.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising requesting, by a third client of the plurality of clients, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the third client in communication with the originating server to receive the dynamically generated object.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising requesting, by an external administrative control, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising flushing from the cache the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and marked as invalid.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the intermediary device, the request to invalidate within at least one millisecond of caching the dynamically generated object.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the intermediary device, the request to invalidate responsive to expiration of an invalidation time period of the cached dynamically generated object of at least one millisecond.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable comprises a dynamically generated object not identified as cacheable.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the originating server, the dynamically generated object in response to the request from the client;

identifying, by the originating server, the dynamically generated object as not cacheable; and

marking, by the originating server, the dynamically generated object as not cacheable responsive to the identification that the dynamically generated object is not cacheable.

11. A method for caching a group of dynamically generated objects having at least one object identified as not cacheable, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying, in a cache on an intermediary device located between a client and an originating server, a group of dynamically generated objects previously generated in response to a request from the client and served from the originating server, at least one of the dynamically generated objects identified as not cacheable;

associating, by the intermediary device, the group with an object determinant, the object determinant comprising one or more parameter name-value pairs in a first communication between the client and the originating server; and

intercepting, by the intermediary device, a second communication from the client or a second client identifying the object determinant associated with the group and indicating via the object determinant in the second communication a change is one of about to occur or has occurred on the originating server to one of the objects identified as not cacheable of the group.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising marking, by the intermediary device, the group of dynamically generated objects as invalid in response to receiving the second communication.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising flushing from the cache the group of objects marked as invalid.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the group of dynamically generated objects is pre-designated.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically identifying the group of dynamically generated objects and associating the object determinant with the group according to a rule.

16. A method for maintaining a cache of dynamically generated objects, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, by a cache on an intermediary located between a client and an originating server, a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and generated at the originating server in response to a request from a client;

identifying, by the intermediary, an object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object, the object determinant comprising one or more parameter name-value pairs in a first communication between the client and the originating server;

intercepting, by the cache, a second communication between the client and the originating server;

identifying, by the intermediary device, an object determinant in the second communication;

determining, by the intermediary device, responsive to the object determinant in the second communication corresponding to the identified object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object, that a change has occurred or will occur in the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and generated at the originating server in response to a request from a client; and

marking, by the cache, the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and stored in the cache as invalid.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising obtaining the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable from the originating server.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising flushing from the cache the invalid dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable comprises a dynamically generated object not identified as cacheable.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising:

associating, by the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object with a group of dynamically generated objects previously served from the originating server;

associating, by the intermediary device, the group with the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object; and

marking, by the intermediary device, the group of dynamically generated objects as invalid in response to the communication.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising flushing from the cache the group of dynamically generated objects marked as invalid.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the group of dynamically generated objects is pre-designated.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically identifying the group of dynamically generated objects and associating the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object with the group according to a rule.

24. The method of claim 16, comprising embedding by the client in the second communication the object determinant in the second communication as a pre-defined string.

25. The method of claim 16, comprising identifying the object determinant in the second communication based on a pre-defined heuristic rule associated with the dynamically generated object.

26. The method of claim 16, comprising selecting, by the intermediary device, the object determinant in the second communication from one of the following elements of the communication:

USERID, IP address, TCP port, HTTP header, custom HTTP header, client URL, cookie header, URL query string and POST body.

27. The method of claim 16, comprising extracting, by the intermediary device, from the second communication the object determinant in the second communication based on a user-configured invalidation policy.

28. The method of claim 16, comprising maintaining a table in the cache to associate the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object with one or more objects or groups of objects stored in the cache.

29. The method of claim 16, comprising examining, by an intelligent statistical engine, communications from the client to identify a set of dynamically generated objects to store in the cache.

30. The method of claim 16, comprising associating, by the intermediary device, objects stored in the cache into a content group, wherein the content group is represented by a hash table having an incarnation number as an index.

31. The method of claim 16, comprising performing, by the intermediary device, a hash algorithm on the dynamically generated object identified via the second communication to determine a change to the dynamically generated object.

32. A system for caching a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the system comprising:

means for receiving, by an intermediary device located between a plurality of clients and an originating server, from the originating server, a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable generated in response to a first request from a first client of the plurality of clients;

means for transmitting, by the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object to the first client, responsive to the first request;

means for retaining in a cache on the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable after transmitting the dynamically generated object to the first client;

means for receiving, by the intermediary device, a second request from a second client of the plurality of clients for the dynamically generated object;

means for responding, by the intermediary device, to the second request with the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable generated in response to the first request;

means for receiving, the intermediary device, a request to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable; and

means for marking, by the intermediary device in response to the request to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable as invalid.

33. The system of claim 32, comprising means for requesting, by the originating server to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

34. The system of claim 32, comprising means for automatically requesting, by the originating server, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable in response to a change to the dynamically generated object in the originating server.

35. The system of claim 32, comprising means for requesting, by a third client of the plurality of clients, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable, the third client in communication with the originating server to receive the dynamically generated object.

36. The system of claim 32, comprising means for requesting, by an external administrative control, to invalidate the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

37. The system of claim 32, comprising means for flushing from the cache the cached dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and marked as invalid.

38. The system of claim 32, comprising means for receiving, by the intermediary device, the invalidation request within at least one millisecond of caching the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

39. The system of claim 32, comprising means for receiving, by the intermediary device, the request to invalidate responsive to expiration of an invalidation time period of the cached dynamically generated object of at least one millisecond.

40. A system for caching a group of dynamically generated objects having at least one object identified as not identified as cacheable, the system comprising:

means for identifying, in a cache on an intermediary device located between a client and an originating server, a group of dynamically generated objects generated in response to a request by the client and served from the originating server, at least one of the dynamically generated objects identified as not cacheable;

means for associating, by the intermediary device, the group with an object determinant, the object determinant comprising one or more parameter name-value pairs in a first communication between the client and the originating server; and

means for intercepting, by the intermediary device, a second communication from the client or a second client identifying the object determinant of the group and indicating via the object determinant in the second communication a change is one of about to occur or has occurred on the originating server to one of the objects of the group.

41. The system of claim 40, comprising means for marking, by the intermediary device, the group of dynamically generated objects as invalid in response to receiving the second communication.

42. The system of claim 41, comprising means for flushing from the cache the group of objects marked as invalid.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the group of dynamically generated objects is pre-designated.

44. The system of claim 40, comprising means for automatically identifying the group of dynamically generated objects and associating the object determinant with the group according to a rule.

45. A system for maintaining a cache of dynamically generated objects, the system comprising:

means for storing, by a cache on an intermediary located between a client and an originating server, a dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and generated at the originating server in response to a request from a client;

means for identifying, by the intermediary, an object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object, the object determinant comprising one or more parameter name-value pairs in a first communication between the client and the originating server;

means for intercepting, by the cache on an intermediary located between a client and an originating server, a second communication between the client and the originating server;

means for identifying, by the intermediary device, an object determinant in the second communication;

means for determining, by the intermediary device, responsive to the object determinant in the second communication corresponding to the identified object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object that a change has occurred or will occur in the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and generated at the originating server in response to a request from a client; and

means for marking, by the cache, the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable and stored in cache as invalid.

46. The system of claim 45, comprising means for obtaining the dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable from the originating server.

47. The system of claim 45, comprising means for flushing from the cache the invalid dynamically generated object identified as not cacheable.

48. The system of claim 45, comprising:

means for associating, by the intermediary device, the dynamically generated object with a group of dynamically generated objects previously served from the originating server;

means for associating, by the intermediary device, the group with the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object; and

means for marking, by the intermediary device, the group of dynamically generated objects as invalid in response to the communication.

49. The system of claim 45, comprising means for flushing from the cache the group of dynamically generated objects marked as invalid.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein the group of dynamically generated objects is pre-designated.

51. The system of claim 45, comprising means for automatically identifying the group of dynamically generated objects and associating the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object with the group according to a rule.

52. The system of claim 45, comprising means for embedding by the client in the second communication the object determinant in the second communication as a pre-defined string.

53. The system of claim 45, comprising means for identifying the object determinant in the second communication based on a pre-defined heuristic rule associated with the dynamically generated object.

54. The system of claim 45, comprising means for selecting, by the intermediary device, the object determinant in the second communication from one of the following elements of the second communication:

USERID, IP address, TCP port, HTTP header, custom HTTP header, client URL, cookie header, URL query string and POST body.

55. The system of claim 45, comprising means for extracting, by the intermediary device, from the second communication the object determinant in the second communication based on a user-configured invalidation policy.

56. The system of claim 45, comprising means for maintaining a table in the cache to associate the object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object with to one or more objects or groups of objects stored in the cache.

57. The system of claim 45, comprising means for examining, by an intelligent statistical engine, communications from the client to identify a set of dynamically generated objects to store in the cache.

58. The system of claim 45, comprising means for associating, by the intermediary device, objects stored in cache into a content group, wherein the content group is represented by a hash table having an incarnation number as an index.

59. The system of claim 45, comprising means for performing, by the intermediary device, a hash algorithm on the dynamically generated object identified via the second communication to determine a change to the dynamically generated object.

60. A method for maintaining a cache of dynamically generated objects, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, by a cache on an intermediary located between a client and an originating server, a dynamically generated object generated at the originating server in response to a first request from a first client;

identifying, by the intermediary, an object determinant of the cached dynamically generated object, the object determinant comprising one or more parameter name-value pairs in a first communication between the client and the originating server used by the originating server upon receipt to change the dynamically generated object;

intercepting, by the intermediary, a second request from a second client to the originating server for the dynamically generated object, the second request including the identified object determinant;

determining, by the intermediary, that receipt of the identified object determinant of the second request by the originating server will not cause a change to occur in the originating server to change the dynamically generated object;

responding to the second request, by the intermediary, with the cached dynamically generated object;

intercepting, by the intermediary, a third request from a third client to the originating server for the dynamically generated object, the third request including the identified object determinant;

determining, by the intermediary, that receipt of the identified object determinant of the third request by the originating server will cause the originating server to change the dynamically generated object; and

marking, by the intermediary, the cached dynamically generated object as invalid.