System and method for caching and retrieving information

• US 6,766,313 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kromann, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US09/614,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/102, 707/1-5, 345/151, 345/152, 711/118, 711/126
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system for caching and retrieving information comprises a server having an information repository, a cache manager, and a server software module. The information repository receives and stores data that is to be served by the server, where such data is regularly updated from at least one external source. The server software module performs server functions including responding to at least some requests for a document from a requestor by retrieving data currently stored in the repository, rendering the document to include the retrieved data, and forwarding the rendered document to the requestor. The cache manager requests a document from the server software module, receives the requested document as rendered by the server software module to include the retrieved data currently stored in the repository, and caches the received document on a regular basis.

Claims

1. A system for caching and retrieving information comprising a server having:

an information repository for receiving and storing data that is to be employed to construct a document to be served by the server, such data being regularly updated from at least one external source;

a server software module performing server functions including responding to at least some requests for the document from a requestor by retrieving the data currently stored in the repository, rendering the document to include the retrieved data, and forwarding the rendered document to the requester; and

a plurality of cache managers each requesting a variation of the document from the server software module, receiving the requested variation of the document as rendered by the server software module to include the retrieved data currently stored in the repository, and caching the received variation of the document on a regular basis, each cached variation of the document as produced by a particular cache manager differing from other cached variations of the document as produced by other cache managers, each cached variation of the document being tailored to satisfy a request for the document by a particular type of user; and

the server software module responding to a request for the document from a user by determining what particular type the user is, retrieving the corresponding cached variation of the document, and forwarding the retrieved cached variation of the document to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a timer providing timing upon which the cache manager caches the document on the regular basis.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the server has multiple work spaces and the server software module and cached document reside in a common work space.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the server has multiple work spaces and the server software module and cached document reside in a common work space.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the cache manager stores the cached document in the repository and the server software module retrieves the cached document from the repository.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein in caching the document including the retrieved data on a regular basis, each new cached document replaces a previous cached document.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the cache manager requests that the document be rendered by the server software module according to a cache script; and

the server software module responding to a request for the cached document from the user according to a server software module script.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the cache document rendered according to the cache script represents a main portion of information to be forwarded to the user, and the server software module renders additional information to be forwarded to the user according to the server software module script.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the server software module forwards the main portion of information and the additional information to the user in the form of an HTML page.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the additional information includes one of:

header information in the HTML page, footer information in the HTML page, and a combination thereof.

11. A method of caching and retrieving information to be served by a server comprising:

the server receiving and storing data that is to be employed to construct a document to be served by the server, such data being regularly updated from at least one external source;

the server on a regular basis;

retrieving the data currently stored; and

rendering and caching a plurality of variations of the document including the retrieved data on a regular basis, each cached variation of the document differing from other cached variations of the document, each cached variation of the document being tailored to satisfy a request for the document by a particular type of user; and

the server responding to a request for the document from a user by;

determining what particular type the user is;

retrieving the corresponding cached variation of the document; and

forwarding the retrieved cached variation of the document to the user.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising caching the rendered document in a repository and retrieving the cached document from the repository.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein caching the document on a regular basis comprises replacing a previously cached document with a newly cached document.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising:

retrieving and rendering according to a cache script, the cache script being run on a regular basis; and

retrieving and forwarding according to a server software module script, the server software module script being run in response to the user request.

15. The method of claim 14 comprising rendering the document to form a main portion of information to be forwarded to the user, and further comprising rendering additional information to be forwarded to the user after retrieving the cached document.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising rendering the document and rendering the additional information in the form of an HTML page.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising rendering the additional information as one of header information, footer information, and a combination thereof.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon for implementing a method of caching and retrieving information to be served by a server, the instructions comprising modules including:

a first module for receiving and storing data, by the server, that is to be employed to construct a document to be served by the server, such data being regularly updated from at least one external source;

a second module operated on a regular basis, by the server, to;

retrieving the data currently stored; and

rendering a document including the retrieved data;

a plurality of third modules, each third module caching a variation of the document including the retrieved data on a regular basis, each cached variation of the document differing from other cached variations of the document, each cached variation of the document being tailored to satisfy a request for the document by a particular type of user;

the second module responding to a request for the document from a user by;

determining what particular type the user is;

retrieving the corresponding cached variation of the document; and

forwarding the retrieved cached variation of the document to the user.

19. The medium of claim 18 wherein the third module caches the rendered document in a repository and the second module retrieves the cached document from the repository.

20. The medium of claim 18 wherein the third module in caching the document on a regular basis replaces a previously cached document with a newly cached document.

21. The medium of claim 18 wherein:

the second module retrieves and renders according to a cache script, the cache script being run on a regular basis; and

the second module retrieves and forwards according to a server software module script, the server software module script being run in response to the user request.

22. The medium of claim 21 wherein the second module renders the document to form a main portion of information to be forwarded to the user, and the second module renders additional information to be forwarded to the user after retrieving the cached document.

23. The medium of claim 22 wherein the second module renders the document and the additional information in the form of an HTML page.

24. The medium of claim 23 wherein the second module renders the additional information as one of header information, footer information, and a combination thereof.

25. A method of serving information from a server comprising:

the server receiving an information request from a user at a computing device remote from the server;

the server constructing a document at the server including the requested information; and

the server returning the constructed document including the requested information to the requesting user at the computing device;

wherein a plurality of variations of a main portion of the document are rendered and cached by the server on a regular basis, each cached variation of the main portion of the document differing from other cached variations of the main portion of the document, each cached variation being tailored to satisfy a request for the document by a particular type of user, and wherein constructing the document comprises;

determining what particular type the user is; and

determining whether the particular type corresponds to any of the cached variations;

if so, retrieving, based on the particular type of the user, the appropriate cached variation and constructing the document based thereon; and

if not, rendering the appropriate variation and constructing the document based thereon.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein constructing the document comprises:

rendering any header material to be included in the document;

retrieving a cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

inserting the cached main portion within the document; and

rendering any footer material to be included in the document.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein constructing the document comprises:

rendering any header material to be included in the document;

retrieving a first cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

inserting the first cached main portion within the document;

retrieving a second cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

inserting the second cached main portion within the document; and

rendering any footer material to be included in the document.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein constructing the document comprises:

rendering any header material to be included in the document;

retrieving an upper cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

inserting the upper cached main portion within the document;

rendering mid-document material to be included after the upper cached main portion within the document;

retrieving a lower cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

inserting the lower cached main portion within the document after the mid-document material; and

rendering any footer material to be included in the document.

29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon for implementing a method of serving information from a server, the instructions comprising modules including:

a first module for receiving an information request, by the server, from a user at a computing device remote from the server;

a second module for constructing a document, by the server, at the server including the requested information; and

a third module for returning the constructed document, by the server, including the requested information to the requesting user at the computing device;

wherein the second module comprises;

a plurality of first sub-modules, each first sub-module rendering and caching a main portion of the document on a regular basis, each cached variation of the main portion of the document differing from other cached variations of the main portion of the document, each cached variation being tailored to satisfy a request for the document by a particular type of user; and

a second sub-module for constructing the document, the second sub-module comprising;

a first sub-sub-module for determining what particular type the user is;

a second sub-sub module for determining whether the particular type corresponds to any of the cached variations;

a third sub-sub-module for retrieving, based on the particular type of the user, the appropriate cached variation and constructing the document based thereon, if the particular type corresponds to any of the cached variations; and

a fourth sub-sub-module for rendering the appropriate variation and constructing the document based thereon if the particular type does not correspond to any of the cached variations.

30. The medium of claim 29 wherein the second module constructing the document comprises:

a first sub-module for rendering any header material to be included in the document;

a second sub-module for retrieving a cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

a third sub-module for inserting the cached main portion within the document; and

a fourth sub-module for rendering any footer material to be included in the document.

31. The medium of claim 30 wherein the second module constructing the document comprises:

a first sub-module for rendering any header material to be included in the document;

a second sub-module for retrieving a first cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

a third sub-module for inserting the first cached main portion within the document;

a fourth sub-module for retrieving a second cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

a fifth sub-module for inserting the second cached main portion within the document; and

a sixth sub-module for rendering any footer material to be included in the document.

32. The medium of claim 31 wherein the second module constructing the document comprises:

a sub-module for rendering any header material to be included in the document;

a first sub-module for retrieving an upper cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

a second sub-module for inserting the upper cached main portion within the document;

a third sub-module for rendering mid-document material to be included after the upper cached main portion within the document;

a fourth sub-module for retrieving a lower cached main portion of the document including the requested information;

a fifth sub-module for inserting the lower cached main portion within the document after the mid-document material; and

a sixth sub-module for rendering any footer material to be included in the document.