Adaptive accelerated application startup

• US 9,197,486 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roskind, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US12/201,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0293 for accessing web services by means of a binding identification of the management service or element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for accelerated application startup. A method for accelerating startup of an application is provided. The method includes persistently storing a number of uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames based on one or more hostname requests made by one or more users during use of the application. The method further includes, upon startup of the application, making a DNS lookup call for at least one of the stored hostnames prior to a hostname request initiated by the application, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the stored hostnames is cached in the operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request. A system for accelerating startup of an application is provided. The system includes a hostname storage device, a DNS pre-fetcher and a startup DNS pre-cacher.

Claims

1. A method for accelerating startup of a web browser running on a computing device, comprising:

persistently storing, by the web browser running on the computing device, a number of uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames in a hostname storage of the web browser and based on hostname requests made by one or more users during a prior use of the web browser;

in response to an initial execution of an instance of the web browser and prior to a hostname request for any of the stored URL hostnames;

performing, by the web browser, hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions for the stored URL hostnames;

receiving, by the web browser, resolution results for the stored URL hostnames in response to the performing step, the resolution results including IP addresses and hostname information for the stored URL hostnames;

caching, by the web browser, the hostname information for the received resolution results of the hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions in an operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request of the stored URL hostnames; and

discarding, by the web browser, the IP addresses of the received resolution results, such that subsequent hostname requests of the stored URL hostnames are processed (i) utilizing the hostname storage and operating system DNS cache and (ii) separate from network activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing, caching, and discarding steps are performed by parallel threads of the web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step further comprises:

inserting the stored URL hostnames into a work queue; and

performing a hostname-to-IP address DNS resolution for a next hostname in the work queue with an available work thread within a predetermined cache eviction time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step further comprises storing resolution information for the hostname in a hostname table having a hash table for hostnames and DNS resolution events.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step includes making a DNS lookup call for a predicted hostname based on autocompletion logic or omnibox suggestions while a user is typing the hostname request and wherein the performing step is performed before the hostname request is finalized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step further comprises storing the number of URL hostnames based upon a number of first hostnames requested by the web browser following initial execution of the instance of the web browser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing includes avoiding storing of duplicate URL hostnames.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step further comprises storing the number of URL hostnames in a hostname queue based upon replaced values in link tags associated with the number of hostnames.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step further comprises storing the number of URL hostnames based upon any combination of first hostnames following startup, most recent hostnames, or most frequent hostnames requested by one or more users during use of the web browser.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding each IP address provided at startup by an operating system DNS resolver for the respective stored hostname.

11. A method for accelerating startup of a web browser running on a computing device, comprising:

receiving, by the web browser running on the computing device, a number of stored uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames;

in response to an initial execution of an instance of the web browser and prior to a hostname request for any of the stored URL hostnames;

performing, by the web browser, hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions for the stored URL hostnames;

receiving, by the web browser, resolution results for the stored URL hostnames in response to the performing step, the resolution results including IP addresses and hostname information for the stored URL hostnames;

caching, by the web browser, the hostname information for the received resolution results of the hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions in an operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request of the received URL hostnames; and

discarding, by the web browser, the IP addresses received in response to the hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions such that subsequent hostname requests of the stored URL hostnames are processed (i) utilizing the operating system DNS cache and (ii) separate from network activity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the stored hostnames are preprogrammed hostnames.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the stored hostnames are generated by another application.

14. A system for accelerating startup of a web browser comprising:

a hostname storage device configured to persistently store a number of uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames based on one or more hostname requests made by one or more users during a prior use of the web browser;

a DNS pre-fetcher configured to

in response to an initial execution of an instance of the web browser and prior to a hostname request for any of the stored URL hostnames;

perform hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions for the stored URL hostnames;

receive resolution results for the stored URL hostnames in response to the hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions, the resolution results including IP addresses and hostname information for the stored URL hostnames;

cache the hostname information for the received resolution results of the hostname-to-IP address DNS resolutions in an operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request of the stored URL hostnames; and

discard the IP addresses of the received resolution results, such that subsequent hostname requests of the stored URL hostnames are processed (i) utilizing the hostname storage and operating system DNS cache and (ii) separate from network activity; and

a startup DNS pre-cacher configured to pass the number of URL hostnames to the DNS pre-fetcher from the hostname storage device upon execution of the instance of the web browser.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-fetcher and the DNS pre-cacher are configured to operate using parallel threads of the web browser.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a hostname table having a hash table for host names and corresponding DNS resolution events relating to providing global entry points for DNS resolution results, monitoring and measuring performance of actual network stack resolutions for web navigation, or DNS task assignments.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-cacher is further configured to store the number of URL hostnames based upon a number of first hostnames requested by one or more users following initial execution of the instance of the web browser.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-cacher is further configured to store the number of URL hostnames based upon a number of first hostnames requested by the web browser following initial execution of the instance of the web browser.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-cacher is further configured to store the number of URL hostnames based upon a number of most frequently requested hostnames by one or more users during use of the web browser.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-cacher is further configured to store the number of URL hostnames based upon any combination of first hostnames following initial execution of the instance of the web browser, most recent hostnames, or most frequent hostnames requested by one or more users during use of the web browser.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the DNS pre-fetcher is further configured to discard each IP address provided for a respective hostname at initial execution of the web browser, wherein each IP address is not retained by the web browser at initial execution.

22. A method for accelerating startup of an application running on a computing device, comprising:

persistently storing a number of uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames based on one or more hostname requests made by one or more users during use of the application;

upon startup of the application, performing a DNS lookup call for at least one of the stored hostnames prior to a hostname request initiated by the application after startup, wherein a resolution result provided by a DNS resolver at startup for the at least one stored hostname is cached in an operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request, the resolution result associated with IP addresses corresponding to the stored hostnames and wherein the performing further comprises;

making a DNS lookup call for a predicted hostname based on autocompletion logic or omnibox suggestions while a user is typing the hostname request and wherein the performing step is performed before the hostname request is finalized; and

discarding the IP addresses corresponding to the hostnames while maintaining the cached resolution result provided by the DNS resolver at startup for the at least one stored hostname.

23. A system for accelerating startup of an application comprising:

a hostname storage device configured to persistently store a number of uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames based on one or more hostname requests made by one or more users during use of the application;

a DNS pre-fetcher configured to;

make a DNS lookup call for at least one of the stored hostnames prior to a hostname request initiated by the application for any of the stored hostnames and

discard IP addresses corresponding to the hostnames while maintaining a cached resolution result provided by a DNS resolver at startup for the at least one stored hostname, wherein the resolution result provided by the DNS resolver at startup for the at least one stored hostname is cached in the operating system DNS cache in preparation for the hostname request;

a startup DNS pre-cacher configured to pass the number of hostnames to the DNS pre-fetcher from the hostname storage device upon startup of the application; and

a memory comprising a hostname table having a hash table for host names and corresponding DNS resolution events relating to providing global entry points for DNS resolution results, monitoring and measuring performance of actual network stack resolutions for web navigation, or DNS task assignments.