Structure-aware caching

• US 8,867,337 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duftler, Matthew J., Mikalsen, Thomas A., Munson, Jonathan P., Subramanian, Revathi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lequang, John
• Application Number:
  US13/094,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 709219-239, 709/203, 709/216, 707/10, 707/103, 711/122, 711/133, 711/134, 711/141, 715/501, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 370/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Techniques for structure-aware caching are provided. The techniques include decomposing a response from an origin server into one or more independently addressable objects, using a domain specific language to navigate the response to identify the one or more addressable objects and create one or more access paths to the one or more objects, and selecting a route to an object by navigating an internal structure of a cached object to discover one or more additional independently addressable objects.

Claims

1. A method for structure-aware caching, wherein the method comprises:

generating multiple rules for decomposing and caching multiple objects into a cache based on the structure of each of the multiple objects and one or more relationships that exist between the multiple objects, wherein the multiple rules capture one or more main data objects returned by the server, the format of the one or more data objects, relationships that exist between the one or more data objects, a cache expiration default for each data object, and one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object;

decomposing a response from an origin server into multiple independently addressable objects and adding the multiple independently addressable objects to a cache based on the multiple generated rules, wherein each of the multiple independently addressable objects comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

using a domain specific language to navigate the response to identify the multiple independently addressable objects and create one or more cache access paths to the multiple independently addressable objects;

receiving a request for a given cached object from the cache, wherein said given cached object is one of the of the multiple independently addressable objects; and

selecting a given cache access path from the one or more cache access paths, within the cache to the given cached object by;

generating a mapping between the one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object and the one or more cache access paths; and

using said mapping to match the request to the given cache access path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising satisfying one or more subsequent requests for one or more different uniform resource locators (URLs) from a cache without having to go to the origin server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple rules identify one or more objects for which the rules apply, a data access abstraction for each object, and a requested server object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the multiple rules and generating a mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns to direct an incoming URL to a cache access pattern, wherein directing an incoming URL to a cache access pattern comprises directing the incoming URL to a cache access pattern along with one or more appropriate transformations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises traversing to a correct location in the cache to serve up appropriate data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing a client of one or more new uniform resource locators (URLs) to facilitate more efficient fetching of server data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, each of the one or more distinct software modules being embodied on a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, and wherein the one or more distinct software modules comprise a rules parser module, a pattern matcher module, and a data access module executing on a hardware processor.

9. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage device including computer useable program code for structure-aware caching, the computer program product including:

computer useable program code for generating multiple rules for decomposing and caching multiple objects into a cache based on the structure of each of the multiple objects and one or more relationships that exist between the multiple objects, wherein the multiple rules capture one or more main data objects returned by the server, the format of the one or more data objects, relationships that exist between the one or more data objects, a cache expiration default for each data object, and one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object;

computer useable program code for decomposing a response from an origin server into multiple independently addressable objects and adding the multiple independently addressable objects to a cache based on the multiple generated rules, wherein each of the multiple independently addressable objects comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

computer useable program code for using a domain specific language to navigate the response to identify the multiple independently addressable objects and create one or more cache access paths to the multiple independently addressable objects;

computer useable program code for receiving a request for a given cached object from the cache, wherein said given cached object is one of the of the multiple independently addressable objects; and

computer useable program code for selecting a given cache access path from the one or more cache access paths, within the cache to the given cached object by;

generating a mapping between the one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object and the one or more cache access paths; and

using said mapping to match the request to the given cache access path.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer useable program code for satisfying one or more subsequent requests for one or more different uniform resource locators (URLs) from a cache without having to go to the origin server.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising computer useable program code for parsing the multiple rules and generating a mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer useable program code for using the mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns to direct an incoming URL to a cache access pattern.

13. A system for structure-aware caching, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to;

generate multiple rules for decomposing and caching multiple objects into a cache based on the structure of each of the multiple objects and one or more relationships that exist between the multiple objects, wherein the multiple rules capture one or more main data objects returned by the server, the format of the one or more data objects, relationships that exist between the one or more data objects, a cache expiration default for each data object, and one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object;

decompose a response from an origin server into multiple independently addressable objects and adding the multiple independently addressable objects to a cache based on the multiple generated rules, wherein each of the multiple independently addressable objects comprises a uniform resource locator (URL);

use a domain specific language to navigate the response to identify the multiple independently addressable objects and create one or more cache access paths to the multiple independently addressable objects;

receive a request for a given cached object from the cache, wherein said given cached object is one of the of the multiple independently addressable objects; and

select a given cache access path from the one or more cache access paths, within the cache to the given cached object by;

generating a mapping between the one or more anticipated uniform resource locator (URL) patterns for each data object and the one or more cache access paths; and

using said mapping to match the request to the given cache access path.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further operative to satisfy one or more subsequent requests for one or more different uniform resource locators (URLs) from a cache without having to go to the origin server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further operative to parse the multiple rules and generate a mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor coupled to the memory is further operative to use the mapping between one or more uniform resource locator (URL) patterns and one or more cache access patterns to direct an incoming URL to a cache access pattern.