Caching large objects with multiple, unknown, and varying anchor points at an intermediary proxy device

• US 8,661,479 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chetlur, Malolan, Devi, Umamaheswari C., Kalyanaraman, Shivkumar, Nicholson, Robert Bruce, Polavarapu, Ramana V.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/236,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20130074136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 725/148
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2183 Cache memory caches in web servers or browsers G06F16/9574; intermediate storage and caching in data networks H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for caching video object portions. A request for stand-alone content in a video object is received, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion, and a first portion of the video object is cached. A value is assigned to the first video object portion. A subsequent request for content in the video object is received, the subsequent request corresponding to access to the first video object portion and a second, uncached portion of the video object. The value of the first video object portion is updated. For the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value are determined.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to cache a first portion of the video object;

computer readable program code configured to assign a value to the first video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to receive a subsequent request for content in the video object, the subsequent request corresponding to access to the first video object portion and a second, uncached portion of the video object; and

computer readable program code configured to update the value of the first video object portion; and

said computer readable program code being configured to determine, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value;

wherein said computer readable program code is configured to;

ascertain whether content corresponding to the request overlaps with an already cached video object portion;

ascertain content corresponding to the request that partially overlaps an already cached video object portion; and

split the already cached video object portion.

2. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to cache a first portion of the video object;

computer readable program code configured to assign a value to the first video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to receive a subsequent request for content in the video object, the subsequent request corresponding to access to the first video object portion and a second, uncached portion of the video object;

computer readable program code configured to update the value of the first video object portion; and

said computer readable program code being configured to determine, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value;

wherein said computer readable program code is configured to;

ascertain whether content corresponding to the request overlaps with an already cached video object portion; and

perform at least one of the following sets of steps (a) and (b);

(a) ascertain content corresponding to the request that partially overlaps an already cached video object portion; and

split the already cached video object portion; and

(b) ascertain content corresponding to the request that does not overlap an already cached video object portion;

delineate sub-segments of the content corresponding to the request; and

delineate a sub-segment having an adjoining segment, and caching a portion of the sub-segment so delineated.

3. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein the determining is governed by at least one taken from the group consisting of:

the value of the first video object portion, an amount of available storage, a value of a cached video object portion other than the first video object portion.

4. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein the determining is governed by a size of the second video object portion.

5. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to:

ascertain content corresponding to the request that fully overlaps an already cached video object portion; and

update an assigned value of the already cached video object portion.

6. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to:

perform the set of steps (a); and

split responsive to a value comparison between prospective split portions of the already cached video object portion.

7. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to delineate a standalone sub-segment and caching a portion of the standalone sub-segment.

8. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to merge two portions of the video object in cache responsive to a comparison of values of the two portions.

9. The computer program product according to claim 2, wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to evict a portion of the video object in cache responsive to a comparison of values of portions of the video object and to a received request for content in which a size of the content exceeds available cache space.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to cache a first portion of the video object;

computer readable program code configured to assign a value to the first video object portion;

computer readable program code configured to receive a subsequent request for content in the video object, the subsequent request corresponding to access to the first video object portion and a second, uncached portion of the video object; and

computer readable program code configured to update the value of the first video object portion; and

said computer readable program code being configured to determine, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value;

wherein said computer readable program code is configured to;

ascertain whether content corresponding to the request overlaps with an already cached video object portion;

ascertain content corresponding to the request that does not overlap an already cached video object portion;

delineate sub-segments of the content corresponding to the request; and

delineate a sub-segment having an adjoining segment, and caching a portion of the sub-segment so delineated.