Method and system for controlling and accessing content servers

• US 9,628,549 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kee, Thomas E., DeCaprio, Donald Joseph, Kearny, Ryan C., Saether, Christian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US13/475,662
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 709213, 709217, 709219
• 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 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for controlling provisioning and access to cache servers with an application programming interface (API). The API includes components for performing various actions including: (i) prepopulating content on at least one cache server from a content server; (ii) expiring content on at least one cache server; (iii) pinning content in a memory of at least one cache server; (iv) assigning resources on at least one cache server in accordance with a quota; (v) retrieving content from at least one cache server; and (vi) flushing deleted content from at least one selected cache. The API may include a security layer. The security layer determines whether a requestor has permission to cause the requested action to be performed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory for storing executable instructions of an interface that is configured to perform different actions based on a type of component managed by the apparatus; and

a processor that executes the stored executable instructions for the interface to perform actions, including;

detecting the type of component managed by the apparatus for which the interface interfaces based on a resource for which the interface acts as an interface; and

selecting a subset of instructions to perform based on the detected type of component managed by the apparatus and on characteristics of a message sent to the interface, including;

sending an instruction to pre-populate content to at least one cache, the content being obtained from at least one content server;

sending an instruction to pin at least a portion of pre-populated content in at least one cache, one or more quota amounts of memory being allocated in the at least one cache to use for pinned content; and

wherein the pre-populate instruction is sent from a first computing device and the pin instruction is sent from a second computing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the type of component further comprises components that enable the apparatus to operate as one of a cache server, a cache controller, a server array controller, a gateway, or an origin server.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further sends an other instruction to flush content deleted from the content server from the at least one cache.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further sends instructions to an application programming interface on the at least one cache server device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further sends an other instruction to expire content on the at least one cache.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate as an administrator computing device, to administer instructions to one of a cache server or a content server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface further includes at least one of a network stack, a security layer, a pre-populate component, an expire component, a pin component, a quota component, a flush component, a content component, a commands component, or a content server communications layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cache is arranged in a memory within a cache server device.

9. An apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, that in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a message at an interface that is configured to perform different operations based in part on a type of component as which the computing device receiving the message operates, the operations being performed in response to the received message;

detecting the type of component as which the computing device operates based on a resource for which the interface acts as an interface; and

performing a subset of actions based on the detected type of component and on characteristics of a message sent to the interface, including;

pre-populating, by a first computing device, content to at least one cache, the content being received from at least one content server,

expiring, by a second computing device, content on the at least one cache; and

pinning, by a third computing device, a portion of pre-populated content in the at least one cache, wherein one or more quota amounts of memory are allocated in the cache to be used for the pinned content.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations being performed further include:

employing the one or more quotas to assign a plurality of resources on the at least one cache to at least one customer.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations being performed further include:

flushing content deleted from the content server from the at least one cache.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations being performed further include communicating instructions to an interface on the at least one cache.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the operations being performed further include determining whether a sender of the message is authorized to perform the action requested.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises at least one of an origin server, a cache server, or a server array controller device.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cache is arranged in a memory within a cache server device.

16. A system, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices, each computing device having a processor having an interface that is configured to receive a same message and perform a different operation based on a type of component of the respective computing device that employs the interface, wherein the operations include;

detecting the type of component within the respective computing device employing the interface based on a resource for which the interface acts as an interface; and

based on the detected type of component and on characteristics of a message sent to the interface, performing a subset of operations including;

receiving the message; and

performing an action requested by a sender confirmed to have permission, the action selected based on the detected type of component and comprising;

pre-populating, by a first computing device, content to at least one cache, the content being obtained from at least one content server;

expiring, by a second computing device, content on the at least one cache; and

pinning, by a third computing device, at least a portion of pre-populated content in the at least one cache, one or more quota amounts of memory in the at least one cache being allocated to use for the pinned content.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein pre-populating content further includes expiring content on the at least one cache.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise employing a quota to assign a plurality of resources on the at least one cache to a customer.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise sending an instruction to flush content deleted from the at least one content server from the at least one cache.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise communicating instructions to an application programming interface on the at least one cache.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving content from the at least one cache server.

22. The system of claim 16, employing at least one encryption mechanism to confirm the t sender of the message has permission.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the cache is arranged in a memory within a cache server device.