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

• US 9,167,039 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• 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:
  US13/599,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20130074134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A method comprising:

receiving a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

caching a first portion of the video object;

assigning a value to the first video object portion;

receiving 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;

wherein said receiving comprises ascertaining whether content corresponding to the request overlaps with an already cached video object portion;

wherein said ascertaining comprises;

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

splitting the already cached video object portion;

updating the value of the first video object portion; and

determining, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said 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.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining is governed by a size of the second video object portion.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ascertaining comprises:

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

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

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said splitting comprises splitting responsive to a value comparison between prospective split portions of the already cached video object portion.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said ascertaining comprises:

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

delineating sub-segments of the content corresponding to the request.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said delineating comprises delineating a standalone sub-segment and caching a portion of the standalone sub-segment.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said delineating comprises delineating a sub-segment having an adjoining segment, and caching a portion of the sub-segment so delineated.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising merging two portions of the video object in cache responsive to a comparison of values of the two portions.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising evicting 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.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

caching a first portion of the video object;

assigning a value to the first video object portion;

receiving 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;

wherein said receiving comprises ascertaining whether content corresponding to the request overlaps with an already cached video object portion;

wherein said ascertaining comprises;

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

delineating sub-segments of the content corresponding to the request;

updating the value of the first object portion; and

determining, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request for stand-alone content in a video object, the content neither being cached nor being adjacent to a cached video object portion;

caching a first portion of the video object;

assigning a value to the first video object portion;

receiving 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;

updating the value of the first video object portion;

determining, for the second video object portion, an amount to cache and a value; and

merging two portions of the video object in cache responsive to a comparison of values of the two portions.