Metadata cache management

• US 9,996,464 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miyajima, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Burke, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Thong
• Application Number:
  US14/535,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 707769, 707827, 707661, 711118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0802 Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1041 Resource optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/466 Metadata, control data

Abstract

Managing a cache includes determining from metadata of a received service request whether a cache data response may satisfy the request as a function of recognizing a cacheable method name specification within request metadata by a service provider associated with the request, and determining whether the request is an inquiry in order to decide if the request may be satisfied by the cached data. Aspects also include searching the cache for the data response if determined the data is cacheable and the request is an inquiry, and sending the request on to a service provider if the data response is not a cacheable response, or the request is an update request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a cache, comprising executing on a processor:

determining from metadata of a received first service request if an operation name of a command within the received first request is defined in combination with a return data identification as a cacheable method name specification within the first request metadata;

in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, determining that the first request is an inquiry request that may be satisfied by a data response to a previously received second request if a value of a time parameter associated with the cacheable method name in the metadata is not aged;

searching the cache for the data response to the second request in satisfaction of the received first service request in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, and that the first request is the inquiry request; and

sending the request on to a service provider in response to determining that the command operation name is not defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, or that the first request is not the inquiry request.

2. The method of claim 1, the searching the cache for the data response further comprising:

utilizing the first request metadata to search the cache by excluding variable transaction identification metadata of the first request metadata that is different from variable transaction identification metadata of the second request; and

returning the cached data response to the second request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received first request metadata comprises web service description language;

and

wherein the of determining if the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification comprises construing the Web Service Description Language metadata via application of a static analysis tool.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if a service provider response that is returned from the service provider is cacheable as a function of comparing an update frequency specification that is defined in the first request metadata to a value of a time parameter of the service provider in metadata of the service provider response;

in response to determining that the service provider response is cacheable, caching the service provider response and forwarding the service provider response to a first requestor; and

in response to determining that the service provider response is not cacheable, forwarding the service provider response to the first requester without caching the service provider response.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the update frequency is specified by the service provider in a service interface through a specification selected from the group consisting of a source code, a parameter value and a comment within the web service description language of the first request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the service interface comprises a service provider software application to receive the first request and return the service provider response using a business logic system having a protocol different from a protocol of an underlying system application logic of the cache server.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining as a function of construing the comment a determination selected from the group consisting of whether the data response satisfying the request may be cached in the cache, whether the first request is the inquiry request, and whether the service provider response returned by the service provider is cacheable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the update frequency specification is a time interval period policy or an access frequency policy.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating the first request metadata in response to receiving the first request; and

preparing and utilizing a metadata repository to handle the generated first request metadata.

10. Apparatus for managing a cache, comprising:

a processing unit;

a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processing unit and;

a computer-readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processing unit;

wherein the processing unit executes program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby;

determines from first metadata of a received first service request if an operation name of a command within the received first request is defined in combination with a return data identification as a cacheable method name specification within the first request metadata;

in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, determines that the first request is an inquiry request that may be satisfied by a data response to a previously received second request if a value of a time parameter associated with the cacheable method name in the metadata is not aged out;

searches the cache for the data response to the second request in satisfaction of the received first service request in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, and that the first request is the inquiry request; and

sends the request on to a service in response to determining that the command operation name is not defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, or that the first request is not the inquiry request.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further searches the cache for the data response by utilizing the first request metadata to search the cache and return the cached data response to the second request by excluding variable transaction identification metadata of the first request metadata that is different from variable transaction identification metadata of the second request.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received first request metadata comprises web service description language;

and

wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby determines if the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification by construing the web service description language metadata via application of a static analysis tool.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further:

determines if the service provider response returned from the service provider is cacheable as a function of comparing an update frequency specification that is defined in the first request metadata to a value of a time parameter of the service provider in metadata of the service provider response;

in response to determining that the service provider response is cacheable, caches the service provider response and forwards the service provider response to a first requestor; and

in response to determining that the service provider response is not cacheable, forwards the service provider response to the first requester without caching the service provider response.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the update frequency is specified by the service provider in a service interface through a specification selected from the group consisting of a source code, a parameter value and a comment within the web service description language of the first request;

and

wherein the service interface comprises a service provider software application to receive the first request and return the service provider response using a business logic system having a protocol different from a protocol of an underlying system application logic of the cache server.

15. A computer program product for managing a cache, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable hardware storage device;

first program instructions to control a cache by determining from first metadata of a received first service request if an operation name of a command within the received first request is defined in combination with a return data identification as a cacheable method name specification within the first request metadata;

second program instructions to, in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, determine that the first request is an inquiry request that may be satisfied by a data response to a previously received second request if a value of a time parameter associated with the cacheable method name in the metadata is not aged out;

third program instructions to search the cache for the data response to the second request in satisfaction of the received first service request in response to determining that the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, and that the first request is the inquiry request; and

fourth program instructions to send the request on to a service provider in response to determining that the command operation name is not defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification, or that the first request is not the inquiry request; and

wherein

the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable hardware storage device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to search the cache for the data response by utilizing the first request metadata to search the cache and return the cached data response to the second request by excluding variable transaction identification metadata of the first request metadata that is different from variable transaction identification metadata of the second request.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the received first request metadata comprises web service description language;

and

wherein the first program instructions are further to determine if the command operation name is defined in combination with the return data identification within the received first request metadata as the cacheable method name specification by construing the web service description language metadata via application of a static analysis tool.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

ninth program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to determine if the service provider response returned from the service provider is cacheable as a function of comparing an update frequency specification that is defined in the first request metadata to a value of a time parameter of the service provider in metadata of the service provider response;

tenth program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to, in response to determining that the service provider response is cacheable, cache the service provider response and forward the service provider response to a first requestor; and

eleventh program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to, in response to determining that the service provider response is not cacheable, forward the service provider response to the first requester without caching the service provider response.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the update frequency is specified by the service provider in a service interface through a specification selected from the group consisting of a source code, a parameter value and a comment within the web service description language of the first request;

and

wherein the service interface comprises a service provider software application to receive the first request and return the service provider response using a business logic system having a protocol different from a protocol of an underlying system application logic of the cache server.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

twelfth program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to generate the first request metadata; and

thirteenth program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device to prepare and utilize a metadata repository for handling the generated first request metadata.