Predictive prefetching of data from remote client-state cache from server to update local client-state cache

• US 8,832,184 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versata Development Group, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Versata Development Group, Inc. (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Inventors: Britto, Jude Arvind, Vinnakota, Rajasekhar, Franke, David, Gray, Douglas Stuart, Gupta, Deepti
• Primary Examiner(s): Sall, El Hadji
• Application Number:
  US13/230,691
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Response delay associated with a state-based client-server application can be reduced with utilization of an application state server-side cache. A server caches data for a set of one or more possible states of a client-server application that may follow a current state of the application. The server rapidly responds to a client request with data that corresponds to an appropriate new state of the application in accordance with the application state server-side cache. The server determines that the application will transition to the appropriate new state from the current state of the application with the application state server-side cache based, at least in part, on an operation indicated by the client request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

pre-computing and storing, at a server-side, a hierarchy of data units that each correspond to a respective one of a plurality of successive states of a state-based client-server application that may follow a current state of the state-based client-server application, the plurality of successive states including a new state that may follow the current state and a subsequent state that may follow the new state;

receiving a client request; and

predictively selecting and supplying, in response to the client request, a subset of the stored data units to be prefetched, the subset including a first data unit of the set of stored data units, the first data unit corresponding to the subsequent state.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes:

determining those of the plurality of successive states that may immediately follow the new state; and

selecting those of the data units corresponding to the successive states that may immediately follow the new state.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes determining a visit count associated with the first data unit, the visit count indicating a number of operations performed associated with the first data unit.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes determining a timestamp corresponding to the first data unit, the timestamp indicating a time of last visit associated with the first data unit.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes:

determining that one of the stored data units has previously been prefetched to a client device associated with the client request,

wherein the previously prefetched stored data unit is not included in the subset.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to predictively selecting the subset, receiving an indication that one of the stored data units is cached by a client-side device associated with the client request,

wherein the stored data unit cached by the client device is not included in the subset.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes selecting a predetermined number of the stored data units to be prefetched.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein those of the stored data units that exceed a predetermined data size are counted as multiple stored data units of the predetermined number of the stored data units.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes determining a number of states between the new state and the subsequent state.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes determining whether the subsequent state represents an incremental change of state of the state-based client-server application or a complete change of state of the state-based client-server application.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein predictively selecting the subset includes determining a frequency of use of an operation associated with the subsequent state.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the client request includes a field for indicating either a prefetch-only request or an operation corresponding to the new state in addition to requesting prefetch data corresponding to states following the new state.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the field has a value indicating a prefetch-only request, and

further comprising determining that state data corresponding to the subsequent state should be prefetched to a client device associated with the client request.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the field has a value indicating the operation corresponding to the new state in addition to requesting prefetch data corresponding to states following the new state, and

further comprising supplying, to a client device associated with the client request, state data corresponding to the new state in addition to the subset of the stored data units,

wherein the indicated operation indicates a change of state of the state-based client-server application from the current state to the new state.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

supplying the predictively selected subset of the stored data units to a client-side device associated with the client request prior to the client-side device receiving user-input corresponding to the first data unit; and

annotating a node of a server-side cache, the node corresponding to the supplied first data unit, wherein annotating the node includes incrementing a timestamp associated with the first data unit, incrementing a visit count associated with the first data unit, updating a field to indicate that the first data unit has been prefetched, or a combination thereof.

16. A computer program product encoded in one or more non-transitory machine readable storage media, the computer program product comprising:

first code executable to pre-compute and store, at a server-side, a hierarchy of data units that each correspond to a respective one of a plurality of successive states of a state-based client-server application that may follow a current state of the state-based client-server application, the plurality of successive states including a new state that may follow the current state and a subsequent state that may follow the new state;

second code to process a client request; and

third code to predictively select, in response to the client request, a subset of the stored data units to be prefetched, the subset including a first data unit of the set of stored data units, the first data unit corresponding to the subsequent state.

17. The computer program of claim 16,

wherein the first data unit is incremental state-difference data corresponding to an incremental change between the new state of the state-based client-server application and the subsequent state.

18. The computer program product of claim 16,

wherein the first data unit is state-difference data corresponding to a refresh of a user interface (UI) of a client-side device associated with the client request.

19. The computer program product of claim 16,

wherein the state-based client-server application is an Internet-based configuration application.