Delta caching

• US 7,058,700 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Casalaina, Marc S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US09/615,383
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709217-219, 709/213, 709223-224, 709/226, 709221-222, 709/203, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A solution to latencies associated with server side processing time, as well as to latency resulting from the transit of information or tools from a server side to a client or user side is provided. The server side and client side can be coupled via a hard link or a network-type connection such as the Internet or a local area network. Select delta page information is stored in a concise manner on client side. As a result, the client does not have to contact the server when a user requests page information that is associated with stored delta page information. The stored delta page information can be accessed and used to update the current page thereby yielding the requested page. Thus, latency from server side processing and network transit time is reduced. An algorithm can be implemented on the client side to identify relevant stored delta page information, and to update the current page with that delta page information.

Claims

1. A method for updating a configuration page on a user side of an Internet-based configuration system without having to contact a server side of the configuration system, the method comprising:

receiving the configuration page from the server side along with delta configuration pace information associated with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable to update the configuration page with one or more changes without having to contact the server side of the configuration system;

responsive to the user side receiving a user input that is associated with delta configuration page information available at the user side after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page, retrieving the delta configuration page information without having to contact the server side of the configuration system; and

updating the configuration page with a change included in the update information of the delta configuration page information, wherein the configuration page is updated without having to contact the server side of the configuration system after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page, wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme and is embedded in the configuration page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta configuration page information is comprised of a control delta that represents changes in a control of the configuration page as a result of the user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta configuration page information embodies preprocessed configuration engine computations that are responsive to the user input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step further comprises:

layering the delta configuration page information that is associated with the user input into the configuration page via Dynamic HTML.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating step is performed by a process that is embedded in the configuration page.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the update information for the change in the delta configuration page information with the configuration page thereby defining a new configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta configuration page information is available at the user side prior to the user side receiving the user input and the user input is used to retrieve the delta configuration page information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta configuration page information available at the user side is one of a plurality of delta configuration page information available at the user side, each member of the plurality of delta configuration page information being configured for updating the configuration page responsive to one of a plurality of user inputs, the plurality of user inputs including the received user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

10. A method for transmitting product configuration information generated by a server side of an Internet-based configuration system to a user side of the configuration system, the method comprising:

generating a configuration page that allows a user to provide a user input to the configuration system;

associating delta configuration page information with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable by the user side to update the configuration page with one or more changes; and

transmitting the configuration page along with the delta configuration page information to the user side from the server side, wherein the delta configuration page information allows the user side to update the configuration page, responsive to the user input, with a change included in the update information of the delta configuration page information without having to contact the server side of the configuration system after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page,

wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table and the associating step further comprises;

organizing the delta configuration page information within the look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme; and

embedding the look-up table in the configuration page.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the associating step is performed as part of the generating step.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the delta configuration page information is comprised of a control delta that represents changes in a control of the configuration page as a result of the user input.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the delta configuration page information embodies preprocessed configuration engine computations that are responsive to the user input.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting a process for updating the configuration page with the delta configuration page information to the user side from the server side.

16. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor included on a user side of an Internet-based configuration system, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

receiving a configuration page from the server side along with delta configuration page information associated with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable to update the configuration page with one or more changes without having to contact the server side of the configuration system;

responsive to the user side receiving a user input that is associated with delta configuration page information available at the user side, retrieving the delta configuration page information; and

updating a configuration page with a change included in the update information of the delta configuration page information without having to contact a server side of the configuration system, wherein the configuration page is updated without having to contact the server side of the configuration system after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page,

wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme and is embedded in the configuration page.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

18. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor included on a server side of an Internet-based configuration system, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

generating a configuration page that allows a user to provide input to the configuration system;

associating delta configuration page information with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable by the user side to update the configuration page with one or more changes; and

transmitting the configuration page along with the delta configuration page information, wherein the delta configuration page information allows the user side to update the configuration page, responsive to the user input, with a change included in the update information of the delta configuration page information without having to contact the server side of the configuration system after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page,

wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table and the associating step further comprises;

organizing the delta configuration page information within the look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme; and

embedding the look-up table in the configuration page.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

20. A configuration page update system for updating a configuration page displayed on a client side of a network without having to contact a server side of that network, the system comprising:

means for receiving the configuration page from the server side along with delta configuration page information associated with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable to update the configuration page with one or more changes without having to contact the server side of the network;

means for retrieving delta configuration page information available at the client side, responsive to the client side receiving a user input that is associated with the delta configuration page information; and

means for updating the configuration page with a change included in the update information of the delta configuration page information, wherein the configuration page is updated without having to contact the server side of the network after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page,

wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme and is embedded in the configuration page.

21. The system of claim 20, further including means for the client side to receive the delta page information from the server side, prior to receiving the user input.

22. The page update system of claim 20, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

23. A method for updating a configuration page on a client side of a network, the method comprising:

receiving delta configuration page information on the client side, the delta page information being associated with the configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable to update the configuration page with one or more changes without having to contact a server side of the network;

receiving a user input on the client side, after receiving the delta configuration page information;

retrieving from the client side the delta configuration page information responsive to the received user input; and

updating the configuration page with a change included in the update information of the retrieved delta configuration page information, wherein the configuration page is updated without having to contact the server side of the configuration system after receiving the delta configuration page information and the configuration page,

wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme and is embedded in the configuration page.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the user input is received using the page.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the received delta page information is one of a plurality of delta page information received on the client side, each of the plurality of delta page information being configured for updating the page.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the received delta page information is one of a plurality of delta page information received on the client side, each of the plurality of delta page information being configured for updating the page responsive to one of a plurality of user inputs, the plurality of user inputs including the received user input.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.

28. A method for receiving delta configuration page information on a client side of a network from a server side of that network, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a user input that is not associated with delta configuration page information available at the client side, requesting a new configuration page;

receiving, on the client side, the new configuration page along with delta configuration page information that is associated with the new configuration page, the delta configuration page information including update information usable to update the new configuration page with one or more changes without having to contact the server side of the network, wherein the delta configuration page information is contained in a look-up table pursuant to an indexing scheme and is embedded in said configuration page;

displaying the new configuration page on the client side;

receiving a user input;

updating the displayed new configuration page with a change included in the update information of using the delta configuration page information, responsive to the user input, wherein the new configuration page is updated without having to contact the server side of the network after receiving the delta configuration page information and the new configuration page; and

displaying the updated new configuration page.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the delta page information is embedded in the received new page.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the delta page information is configured to update a plurality of pages, the new page being included in the plurality of pages.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the user input is used to select the delta page information from a plurality of delta page information available on the client side.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the delta configuration page information is indexed in the indexing scheme according to specific user inputs that can be provided from the configuration page, each specific user input being related to a portion of the delta configuration page information.