Push-based cache invalidation notification

• US 9,203,919 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Wei, He, Ray C., Shepard, Luke Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US14/328,985
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 711/145, 711/146, 711/141, 711/E12.002, 709/226, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0833 in combination with broadcast means (e.g. for invalidation or updating)
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/128 adapted to multidimensional cache systems, e.g. set-associative, multicache, multiset or multilevel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1491 in a hierarchical protection system, e.g. privilege levels, memory rings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/235 Update request formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/62 Details of cache specific to multiprocessor cache arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/621 Coherency control relating to peripheral accessing, e.g. from DMA or I/O device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Claims

1. A first computing system comprising:

one or more processors providing services to a plurality of users; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

provide services to a plurality of users;

store user datum associated with the plurality of users;

subscribe to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by a second computing system, the second computing system providing one or more additional services to the plurality of users; and

receive a push notification from the second computing system, the push notification indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value.

2. The first computing system of claim 1, wherein the push notification indicates that a plurality of values associated with the plurality of users have been updated without providing the updated values.

3. The first computing system of claim 1, wherein the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to:

determine whether the user currently has a user session with the first computing system; and

after the push notification is received, transmit a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session; and

receive, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session.

4. The first computing system of claim 1, wherein:

the second computing system comprises a social networking system providing social networking services to the plurality of users; and

the user datum comprises profile information of the plurality of users.

5. The first computing system of claim 4, wherein the first computing system is associated with an online gaming system providing gaming services to the plurality of users, the online gaming system receiving user datum from the social networking system to allow the plurality of users to receive gaming services without registering for a separate account with the online gaming system.

6. The first computing system of claim 1, wherein subscribing to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by the second computing system comprises subscribing to receive push notifications for user datum of a particular one of a plurality of user datum types.

7. The first computing system of claim 1, the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to:

after the push notification is received, transmit a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum;

receive, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum; and

locally cache, by the first computing system, a copy of the user datum.

8. A method comprising:

by a first computing system, providing services to a plurality of users;

by the first computing system, storing user datum associated with the plurality of users;

by the first computing system, subscribing to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by a second computing system, the second computing system providing one or more additional services to the plurality of users; and

by the first computing system, receiving a push notification from the second computing system, the push notification indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the push notification indicates that a plurality of values associated with the plurality of users have been updated without providing the updated values.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the user currently has a user session with the first computing system; and

after the push notification is received, transmitting a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session; and

receiving, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the second computing system comprises a social networking system providing social networking services to the plurality of users; and

the user datum comprises profile information of the plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first computing system is associated with an online gaming system providing gaming services to the plurality of users, the online gaming system receiving user datum from the social networking system to allow the plurality of users to receive gaming services without registering for a separate account with the online gaming system.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein subscribing to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by the second computing system comprises subscribing to receive push notifications for user datum of a particular one of a plurality of user datum types.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after the push notification is received, transmitting a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum;

receiving, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum; and

locally caching, by the first computing system, a copy of the user datum.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by a first computing system to:

provide services to a plurality of users;

store user datum associated with the plurality of users;

subscribe to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by a second computing system, the second computing system providing one or more additional services to the plurality of users; and

receive a push notification from the second computing system, the push notification indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the push notification indicates that a plurality of values associated with the plurality of users have been updated without providing the updated values.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the software is further operable when executed by the first computing system to:

determine whether the user currently has a user session with the first computing system; and

after the push notification is received, transmit a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session; and

receive, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum associated with the user currently having a user session.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein:

the second computing system comprises a social networking system providing social networking services to the plurality of users; and

the user datum comprises profile information of the plurality of users.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the first computing system is associated with an online gaming system providing gaming services to the plurality of users, the online gaming system receiving user datum from the social networking system to allow the plurality of users to receive gaming services without registering for a separate account with the online gaming system.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein subscribing to be notified when a value of the user datum is updated by the second computing system comprises subscribing to receive push notifications for user datum of a particular one of a plurality of user datum types.

21. The media of claim 15, the software is further operable when executed by the first computing system to:

after the push notification is received, transmit a request to the second computing system for an updated value of the user datum;

receive, from the second computing system, the updated value for the user datum; and

locally cache, by the first computing system, a copy of the user datum.