Prefetching web resources based on proxy triggers

• US 8,195,761 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carlson, Michael Pierre, Chowdhury, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Tuan-Khanh
• Application Number:
  US10/756,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,066 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

Web pages are prefetched upon activation of one of three server-side triggers: a service trigger, an access based trigger, and a timed trigger. The service trigger is a subscription service in which the web server agrees to notify the proxy when webpages in the web server are modified. The access based trigger uses logs/metrics to analyze a plurality of users'"'"' browsing habits. When the log/metrics database noticeS that a particular webpage experiences heavy requesting traffic during a particular time period, the log/metric creates an access based trigger to prefetch the requested webpage. The timed trigger is a prefetching mechanism that occurs on a regular interval. Configuration data instructs the timed trigger to prefetch a certain webpage a certain times throughout the day.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a webpage to a user responsive to a user request, the method comprising:

a proxy subscribing to a subscription service of a web server, wherein the web server notifies the proxy when a change is made to the webpage;

the web server determining whether a change has been made to the webpage;

responsive to the web server determining that a change has been made to the webpage, the web server sending a change notice to the proxy;

responsive to receiving the change notice, the proxy prefetching the webpage from the web server and storing the webpage in a cache memory of the proxy, wherein the webpage has not been requested by the user;

the user making a request to the proxy to retrieve the webpage; and

responsive to receiving the request, the proxy retrieving the webpage from the cache memory of the proxy and delivering the webpage to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the proxy maintaining a log of every request made by a plurality of users to the web server for the webpage;

the proxy analyzing the log to determine a time period when the webpage is frequently requested by the plurality of users; and

responsive to determining the time period, the proxy prefetching the webpage from the web server and storing the webpage in the cache memory of the proxy at a time before the time period begins, wherein the webpage has not been requested by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

the proxy determining a timing interval for prefetching the webpage from the web server; and

responsive to determining that the timing interval has occurred, the proxy prefetching the webpage from the web server and storing the webpage in the cache memory of the proxy, wherein the webpage has not been requested by the user.