APPLICATION-DRIVEN CDN PRE-CACHING

• US 20160173639A1
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tuliani, Jonathan Roshan, Holt, Nicholas Leonard, Huang, Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/602 Details relating to cache prefetching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/6028 Prefetching based on hints or prefetch instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Techniques are provided for the caching of content prior to the content being requested. A request for desired content may be received from a client application at a caching server. The request may also indicate additional content related to the desired content that may be subsequently requested by the client application. The indicated additional content (and the desired content, if not already cached) is retrieved from an origin server. The desired content is transmitted to the client application at the user device, and the additional content is cached at the caching server. Subsequently, a second request may be received from the client application that includes a request for the additional content. The additional content, which is now cached at the caching server, is served to the client application by the caching server in response to the second request (rather than being retrieved from the origin server).

Claims

1. A method in a client application that executes in a computing device, comprising:

generating a first request for desired content that indicates additional content related to the desired content;

generating a likelihood indication indicating a likelihood the additional content will be subsequently requested by the client application;

transmitting the first request to a caching server;

receiving the desired content from the caching server, the caching server having retrieved the desired content and the additional content from an origin server in response to the first request, the origin server having cached the retrieved additional content;

transmitting a second request to the caching server, the second request being a request for the additional content; and

receiving the cached additional content from the caching server in response to the second request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the likelihood indication comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a proximity of the additional content to the desired content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the desired content includes a first map tile and the additional content includes a second map tile, and said generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a proximity of the additional content to the desired content comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based a proximity of the second map tile to the first map tile in a map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the likelihood indication comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a behavior of the a user of the client application with respect to the desired content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the desired content includes a first content item and the additional content includes a second content item, and said generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a behavior of the a user of the client application with respect to the desired content comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based on whether a user of the computing device pans in a direction of the second content item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the first request to a caching server comprises:

including the generated likelihood indication in the first request transmitted to the caching server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the likelihood indication comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a type of content of at least one of the desired content or the additional content.

8. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory that stores program code defining a client application configured to be executed by the at least one processor, the program code comprising;

a request formatter configured to generate a first request for desired content, and

an additional content predictor configured to predict additional content related to the desired content, the request formatter configured to indicate the additional content in the first request, the additional content predictor including an additional content prioritizer configured to generate a likelihood indication indicating a likelihood the additional content will be subsequently requested by the client application; and

a communication interface configured to transmit the first request to a caching server, and receive the desired content from the caching server, the caching server having retrieved the desired content and the additional content from an origin server in response to the first request, the origin server having cached the retrieved additional content;

the request formatter configured to generate a second request that is request for the additional content; and

the communication interface configured to transmit the second request to the caching server, and receive the cached additional content from the caching server in response to the second request.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the additional content prioritizer is configured to generate the likelihood indication based at least upon a proximity of the additional content to the desired content.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the desired content includes a first map tile and the additional content includes a second map tile, and the additional content prioritizer is configured to generate the likelihood indication based a proximity of the second map tile to the first map tile in a map.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the additional content prioritizer is configured to generate the likelihood indication based at least upon a behavior of the a user of the client application with respect to the desired content.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the desired content includes a first content item and the additional content includes a second content item, and the additional content prioritizer is configured to generate the likelihood indication based on whether a user of the computing device pans in a direction of the second content item.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the request formatter is configured to include the generated likelihood indication in the first request transmitted to the caching server.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the additional content prioritizer is configured to generate the likelihood indication based at least upon a type of content of at least one of the desired content or the additional content.

15. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

program code defining a client application configured to be executed by the at least one processor to perform a method including;

generating a first request for desired content that indicates additional content related to the desired content;

generating a likelihood indication indicating a likelihood the additional content will be subsequently requested by the client application;

transmitting the first request to a caching server;

receiving the desired content from the caching server, the caching server having retrieved the desired content and the additional content from an origin server in response to the first request, the origin server having cached the retrieved additional content;

transmitting a second request to the caching server, the second request being a request for the additional content; and

receiving the cached additional content from the caching server in response to the second request.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein generating the likelihood indication comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a proximity of the additional content to the desired content.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the desired content includes a first map tile and the additional content includes a second map tile, and said generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a proximity of the additional content to the desired content comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based a proximity of the second map tile to the first map tile in a map.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein generating the likelihood indication comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a behavior of the a user of the client application with respect to the desired content.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the desired content includes a first content item and the additional content includes a second content item, and said generating the likelihood indication based at least upon a behavior of the a user of the client application with respect to the desired content comprises:

generating the likelihood indication based on whether a user of the computing device pans in a direction of the second content item.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein said transmitting the first request to a caching server comprises:

including the generated likelihood indication in the first request transmitted to the caching server.