System and method for selectively caching hot content in a content distribution network

• US 8,959,179 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reeser, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYARD, DJENANE M
• Application Number:
  US14/077,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A method includes altering a request interval threshold when a cache-hit ratio falling below a target, receiving a request for content, providing the content when the content is in the cache, when the content is not in the cache and the time since a previous request for the content is less than the request interval threshold, retrieving and storing the content, and providing the content to the client, when the elapsed time is greater than the request interval threshold, and when another elapsed time since another previous request for the content is less than another request interval threshold, retrieving and storing the content, and providing the content to the client, and when the other elapsed time is greater than the other request interval threshold, rerouting the request to the content server without caching the content.

Claims

1. A system for selectively caching hot content in a content delivery system, the system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request for content from a client;

determining if the content is in a cache and if a first elapsed time since a first previous request for the content is less than a request interval threshold;

if the content is not in the cache and if the first elapsed time is less than the request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client;

if the content is not in the cache, the first elapsed time is greater than or equal to the request interval threshold, and a second elapsed time since a second previous request for the content is less than a second request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client; and

if the content is not in the cache and the second elapsed time since the second previous request for the content is greater than the second request interval threshold;

obtaining, in response to the request, the content without caching the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a cache-hit ratio for the cache.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the request interval threshold in response to the cache-hit ratio falling below a target cache-hit ratio.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the content is the hot content if the content is not in the cache and if the first elapsed time is less than the request interval threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the content is the hot content if the content is not in the cache, the first elapsed time is greater than or equal to the request interval threshold, and the second elapsed time since the second previous request for the content is less than the second request interval threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein obtaining, in response to the request, the content without caching the content further comprises rerouting the request to a content server to obtain the content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise simultaneously storing the content in the cache and providing the content to the client.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise storing the first elapsed time since the first previous request for the content in a table indexed by a content identifier.

9. A method for selectively caching hot content in a content delivery system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content from a client;

determining, by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor, if the content is in a cache and if a first elapsed time since a first previous request for the content is less than a request interval threshold;

if the content is not in the cache and if the first elapsed time is less than the request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client;

if the content is not in the cache, the first elapsed time is greater than or equal to the request interval threshold, and a second elapsed time since a second previous request for the content is less than a second request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client; and

if the content is not in the cache and the second elapsed time since the second previous request for the content is greater than the second request interval threshold;

obtaining, in response to the request, the content without caching the content.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a cache-hit ratio for the cache.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting the request interval threshold in response to the cache-hit ratio falling below a target cache-hit ratio.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the content is the hot content if the content is not in the cache and if the first elapsed time is less than the request interval threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the content is the hot content if the content is not in the cache, the first elapsed time is greater than or equal to the request interval threshold, and the second elapsed time since the second previous request for the content is less than the second request interval threshold.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining, in response to the request, the content without caching the content further comprises rerouting the request to a content server to obtain the content.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising simultaneously storing the content in the cache and providing the content to the client.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the first elapsed time since the first previous request for the content in a table indexed by a content identifier.

17. A computer-readable device comprising instructions, which when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for content from a client;

determining if the content is in a cache and if a first elapsed time since a first previous request for the content is less than a request interval threshold;

if the content is not in the cache and if the first elapsed time is less than the request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client;

if the content is not in the cache, the first elapsed time is greater than or equal to the request interval threshold, and a second elapsed time since a second previous request for the content is less than a second request interval threshold;

retrieving the content;

storing the content in the cache; and

providing the content to the client; and

if the content is not in the cache and the second elapsed time since the second previous request for the content is greater than the second request interval threshold;

obtaining, in response to the request, the content without caching the content.

18. The computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise storing the first elapsed time since the first previous request for the content in a table indexed by a content identifier.

19. The computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise determining a cache-hit ratio for the cache.

20. The computer-readable device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the request interval threshold in response to the cache-hit ratio falling below a target cache-hit ratio.