Managing preloading of data on client systems

• US 9,582,603 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Imran, Acharya, Prashanth A., Corley, Jonathan B., Howard, Craig W., Jones, Harvo R., Loendorf, John K., MacCarthaigh, Colm, Marshall, Bradley E., Rosen, Lee B., Snyder, Ronald James Jr., Watson, Ryan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Chong G
• Application Number:
  US13/406,397
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Techniques are described for managing preloading of data for client computing systems. A client computing system may provide one or more persistent data storage caches on local storage, such as to support a particular software program executing on the client computing system (e.g., a Web browser program, with the persistent data storage cache designed to store browser cookies and other data for later access by the Web browser program). Additional data may be stored in such a persistent data storage cache by preloading those data groups before they are requested by the client computing system (e.g., based on interactions of a user of the client computing system with an executing program on the client computing system). Particular data groups to preload may be selected in various manners, including to provide a specified type of minimum functionality to a client computing system based on the preloaded data groups.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a configured server computing system, information about a plurality of data groups that are available to provide to a remote client computing system over one or more networks;

prioritizing, by the configured server computing system, a subset of the plurality of data groups for the client computing system, wherein the prioritized subset includes multiple data groups selected to provide a minimum level of functionality for the client computing system including a default Web page that is not personalized to a user of the client computing system;

initiating, by the configured server computing system, preloading of the multiple data groups to storage local to the client computing system, and wherein other of the plurality of the data groups that are different from the multiple data groups are not preloaded to the storage local to the client computing system; and

transmitting, by the configured server computing system and while the default Web page is displayed on the client computing system, additional data groups to the client computing system for use in modifying the displayed default Web page to include information personalized to the user of the client computing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storage local to the client computing system for preloading data groups is a persistent storage cache on the client computing system, and wherein the preloading of the multiple data groups includes storing the multiple data groups in the persistent storage cache.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the persistent storage cache is configured for use by a web browser program executing on the client computing system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the persistent storage cache is a browser cache based on Web Storage technology.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the persistent storage cache is stored on one or more non-volatile storage devices local to the client computing system, and wherein an amount of storage for preloading data groups in the persistent storage cache is a configured storage size specific to an external data source and is used in the prioritizing of the multiple data groups of the subset.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum level of functionality for the client computing system is based on being able to display the default Web page, and wherein the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups includes selecting one or more of the multiple data groups based on those one or more data groups including data elements for use in rendering the default Web page on the client computing system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum level of functionality for the client computing system is based on providing access to an initial subset of digital media content included in one or more data files, and wherein the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups includes selecting one or more of the multiple data groups based on those one or more data groups including the initial subset of the digital media content for the one or more data files.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum level of functionality for the client computing system is based on providing access to a subset of one or more data files that includes Digital Rights Management (“

DRM”

) information for the one or more data files, and wherein the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups includes selecting one or more of the multiple data groups based on those one or more data groups including the subset of the one or more data files.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiating of the preloading of the multiple data groups to the storage local to the client computing system includes selecting at least one storage device proximate to the client computing system, and storing at least the multiple data groups on the selected at least one storage device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected at least one storage device includes one of multiple edge server devices of a content delivery network, and wherein the selecting of the at least one storage device is performed at least in part based on information specific to the client computing system, the information specific to the client computing system including at least one of a current location of the client computing system and a predicted location of the client computing system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selecting of the at least one storage device proximate to the client computing system is based on satisfying one or more of an indicated measure of geographical proximity to the client computing system and of an indicated measure of network proximity to the client computing system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data groups include one or more data files stored on one or more data source systems, and wherein the configured server computing system executes an automated preload manager system that performs the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups and the initiating of the preloading of the multiple data groups.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the default Web page is supplied to a plurality of users and is not personalized to the client computing system or to any users, wherein the preloading of the multiple data groups is performed before the multiple data groups are requested by the client computing system, and wherein the method further comprises, after the preloading of the multiple data groups and while the multiple data groups are in use on the client computing system to display the default Web page to the user, and under control of the client computing system, receiving a request from the client computing system for the additional data groups, and wherein the transmitting of the additional data groups is performed as part of responding to the received request, the additional data groups being part of the plurality of data groups and not being included in the multiple data groups.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that cause a computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer system, information about a plurality of data groups;

prioritizing, by the computer system, a subset of the plurality of data groups, wherein the prioritized subset includes multiple data groups providing a default Web page that is not personalized and is based at least in part on an amount of storage accessible to a client computing system for preloading data groups for the client computing system;

initiating, by the computer system, preloading of the multiple data groups to the storage accessible to the client computing system, wherein other of the plurality of the data groups that are distinct from the multiple data groups are not preloaded to the storage accessible to the client computing system; and

transmitting, by the computer system and after the default Web page is displayed on the client computing system, additional data groups of the plurality to the client computing system with information personalized to a user of the client computing system for further display with the displayed default Web page.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups is further performed for the client computing system to provide a determined minimum level of functionality for the client computing system based on the multiple data groups that includes an ability to display the default Web page.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the storage accessible to the client computing system is a Web Storage browser cache on the client computing system that is associated with a browser program on the client computing system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the storage accessible to the client computing system is part of a non-volatile storage device attached to the client computing system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the storage accessible to the client computing system is part of a network device that is selected to support the client computing system.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the network device is selected based at least in part on satisfying one or more indicated measures of geographical proximity to the client computing system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the network device is selected based at least in part on satisfying one or more indicated measures of network proximity to the client computing system.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the network device is one of multiple edge server devices of a content delivery network and is separated from the client computing system by one or more networks.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the stored contents are software instructions that, when executed, program the computer system to perform the method, wherein the default Web page is supplied to a plurality of client computing systems and is not personalized to any of the plurality, wherein the preloading of the multiple data groups is performed before the multiple data groups are requested by the client computing system, and wherein the transmitting of the additional data groups is performed after use of the multiple data groups to display the default Web page to the user on the client computing system and in response to a corresponding request from the client computing system.

23. A configured computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more modules that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to manage data preloading for a client computing system, the managing of the data preloading including;

receiving information about a plurality of data groups;

prioritizing a subset of the plurality of data groups, wherein the prioritized subset includes multiple data groups providing a minimum level of functionality for displaying a default Web page that is not personalized for the client computing system;

initiating preloading of the multiple data groups to storage accessible to the client computing system, wherein other of the plurality of the data groups that are distinct from the multiple data groups are not preloaded to the storage accessible to the client computing system; and

transmitting, and after the default Web page is displayed, additional data groups to the client computing system with personalized information for further display with the default Web page.

24. The computer system of claim 23 wherein the prioritizing of the subset of the plurality of data groups is further performed for the client computing system based at least in part on an amount of storage local to the client computing system for preloading data groups that have not yet been requested by the client computing system.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the storage local to the client computing system is a Web Storage browser cache on the client computing system that is associated with a browser program, and wherein the initiating of the preloading of the multiple data groups includes initiating storage of the multiple data groups in the Web Storage browser cache.

26. The computer system of claim 23 wherein the storage accessible to the client computing system is part of a network device that is selected to support the client computing system.

27. The computer system of claim 23 wherein the one or more modules include software instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the default Web page is supplied to a plurality of client computing systems and is not personalized to any of the plurality, wherein the preloading of the multiple data groups is performed before the multiple data groups are requested by the client computing system, and wherein the additional data groups are personalized to a user of the client computing system and are transmitted after use of the multiple data groups to display the default Web page to the user on the client computing system and in response to a request from the client computing system.

28. The computer system of claim 23 wherein the one or more modules consist of one or more means for performing the managing of the data preloading.