Method, apparatus, and computer program product for efficient server response generation using intermediate state caching

• US 20030088649A1
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQ Holdings, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Grischa Corporation, Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Jay C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,671,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for improving server efficiency by caching intermediate states encountered in generating responses to requests. The results of a mapping from an external name for a resource to an internal name for the resource may be cached as may the response header lines, or the body of the response message. In another disclosed aspect, candidates for intermediate state caching are selected from plain and small files. When the resource involves the product of an executable, another aspect involves delaying parsing request headers until necessary and then only parsing the headers required for generating the response.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for efficiently generating responses for repeated resource requests, said method comprising:

receiving a first request for a first resource;

deriving intermediate state information used in generating a first response to said first request;

caching said intermediate state information;

receiving a second request for said first resource;

retrieving said intermediate state information; and

generating a second response to said second request using said intermediate state information.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate state information comprises:

an internal name corresponding to said first resource; and

a type of said first resource.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate state information comprises said first resource.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate state information comprises a plurality of response header lines for said first resource.

5. Apparatus comprising a processor, a memory, a network interface, and a file system, programmed instructions configuring said apparatus to accept connections in order to service requests by sending responses thereto, said apparatus further configured with programmed instructions comprising:

a request receiver configured for receiving a first request for a first resource;

a request handler configured for deriving intermediate state information used in generating a first response to said first request;

a cache storing said intermediate state information; and

a request handler configured for retrieving said intermediate state information and further configured for generating a second response to said second request using said intermediate state information

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said intermediate state information comprises:

an internal name corresponding to said first resource; and

a type of said first resource.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said intermediate state information comprises said first resource.

8. A computer-implemented method for efficiently generating responses for repeated resource requests comprising:

receiving a first request for a first resource, said first request comprising a resource identifier and request modifying information;

determining whether generating a response for said first request requires parsing said request modifying information; and

, if not,

generating said response without parsing said request modifying information.

9. Apparatus comprising a processor, a memory, a network interface, and a file system, programmed instructions configuring said apparatus to accept connections in order to service requests by sending responses thereto, said apparatus further configured with programmed instructions comprising:

a request receiver configured for receiving a first request for a first resource, said first request comprising a resource identifier and request modifying information;

a response generator configured for generating a response to said first request and further configured for determining whether generating said response requires parsing said request modifying information; and

a request modifying information parser configured to parse request modifying information only when said response generator determines generating said response requires parsing said request modifying information.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions encoded thereon for efficiently generating responses for repeated resource requests, comprising;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to receive a first request and a second request for a first resource;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to generate a first response to said first request using intermediate state information derived in generating said first response;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to cache said intermediate state information;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to retrieve said intermediate state information; and

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to generate a second response to said second request using said intermediate state information.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10 wherein said intermediate state information comprises:

an internal name corresponding to said first resource; and

a type of said first resource.

12. The computer program product according to claim 10 wherein said intermediate state information comprises said first resource.

13. The computer program product according to claim 10 wherein said intermediate state information comprises a plurality of response header lines for said first resource.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions encoded thereon for reducing parsing of request modifying information, comprising;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to receive a first request for a first resource, said first request comprising a resource identifier and request modifying information;

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to determine whether s generating a response for said first request requires parsing said request modifying information; and

computer program instructions configured to cause a computer to generate said response without parsing said request modifying information if generating said response does not require parsing said request modifying information.