Systems and methods for managing content variations in content delivery cache

• US 9,703,885 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Open Text Sa Ulc (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheevel, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US15/175,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 711141, 711144, 711145
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a high performance content delivery system in which versions of content are cached for servicing web site requests containing the same uniform resource locator (URL). When a page is cached, certain metadata is also stored along with the page. That metadata includes a description of what extra attributes, if any, must be consulted to determine what version of content to serve in response to a request. When a request is fielded, a cache reader consults this metadata at a primary cache address, then extracts the values of attributes, if any are specified, and uses them in conjunction with the URL to search for an appropriate response at a secondary cache address. These attributes may include HTTP request headers, cookies, query string, and session variables. If no entry exists at the secondary address, the request is forwarded to a page generator at the back-end.

Claims

1. A method for high performance content delivery, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content from a client device, the receiving performed by a high performance delivery (HPD)-enabled system, the HPD-enabled system operating in a distributed computing environment, the distributed computing environment having a plurality of computers interconnected to each other, the plurality of computers comprising at least a server machine embodying the HPD-enabled system, the HPD-enabled system receiving the request for content from the client device over a network;

responsive to the request for content from the client device, determining a first cache address of a cache, the determining performed by the HPD-enabled system;

upon finding metadata of a variation scheme at the first cache address of the cache, determining a second cache address of the cache in accordance with the variation scheme, the determining performed by the HPD-enabled system and utilizing the metadata stored at the first cache address of the cache;

retrieving a content variant from the second cache address of the cache; and

delivering the content variant to the client device over the network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request for content comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request containing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) referencing a web page or a fragment thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first cache address of the cache is determined based solely on the URL.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second cache address of the cache is determined utilizing the URL and a value of at least one variation parameter extracted from the request for content.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metadata includes a description of what attribute, if any, is to be consulted to determine what version of content to serve in response to a request.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the variation scheme represents a logical group of content variants residing at different secondary addresses of the cache.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein when no entry is found at the second cache address of the cache, a new variation of the content is generated, delivered to the client device over the network, and cached at the second cache address of the cache.

8. A high performance delivery (HPD)-enabled system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium; and

stored instructions embodied on the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium and translatable by the at least one processor to perform;

receiving a request for content from a client device over a network;

responsive to the request for content from the client device, determining a first cache address of a cache;

upon finding metadata of a variation scheme at the first cache address of the cache, determining a second cache address of the cache in accordance with the variation scheme, the determining utilizing the metadata stored at the first cache address of the cache;

retrieving a content variant from the second cache address of the cache; and

delivering the content variant to the client device over the network.

9. The HPD-enabled system of claim 8, wherein the request for content comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request containing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) referencing a web page or a fragment thereof and wherein the first cache address of the cache is determined based solely on the URL.

10. The HPD-enabled system of claim 8, wherein the request for content comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request containing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) referencing a web page or a fragment thereof and wherein the second cache address of the cache is determined utilizing the URL and a value of at least one variation parameter extracted from the request for content.

11. The HPD-enabled system of claim 8, wherein the metadata includes a description of what attribute, if any, is to be consulted to determine what version of content to serve in response to a request.

12. The HPD-enabled system of claim 8, wherein the variation scheme represents a logical group of content variants residing at different secondary addresses of the cache.

13. The HPD-enabled system of claim 8, wherein when no entry is found at the second cache address of the cache, a new variation of the content is generated, delivered to the client device over the network, and cached at the second cache address of the cache.

14. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by at least one processor of a high performance delivery (HPD)-enabled system operating in a distributed computing environment to perform:

receiving a request for content from a client device over a network;

responsive to the request for content from the client device, determining a first cache address of a cache;

upon finding metadata of a variation scheme at the first cache address of the cache, determining a second cache address of the cache in accordance with the variation scheme, the determining utilizing the metadata stored at the first cache address of the cache;

retrieving a content variant from the second cache address of the cache; and

delivering the content variant to the client device over the network.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the request for content comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request containing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) referencing a web page or a fragment thereof.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first cache address of the cache is determined based solely on the URL.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second cache address of the cache is determined utilizing the URL and a value of at least one variation parameter extracted from the request for content.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the metadata includes a description of what attribute, if any, is to be consulted to determine what version of content to serve in response to a request.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the variation scheme represents a logical group of content variants residing at different secondary addresses of the cache.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein when no entry is found at the second cache address of the cache, a new variation of the content is generated, delivered to the client device over the network, and cached at the second cache address of the cache.