U.S. patent application number 10/172513 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-02 for network broadcasting system and method for distributing information from a master cache to local caches.
Invention is credited to Humphrey, Douglas Edward.
Application Number | 20030005084 10/172513 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21906969 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030005084 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Humphrey, Douglas Edward |
January 2, 2003 |
Network broadcasting system and method for distributing information
from a master cache to local caches
Abstract
The comprehensive global information broadcasting system and
implementation thereof is designed to be used to provide a
plurality of, what is commonly referred to as, Internet service
providers with updated information through the use of high speed
satellite links directly to the local Internet service provider
from a centralized location. The satellite broadcasting system is
combined with servers known as caching or proxy servers located at
the client site which serve to store web and other data until the
end user needs to access the data and a master cache center which
coordinates the selection and transmission of information to those
client sites via the satellite broadcasting system. The caching of
data objects as close to the end user as possible will require less
data to transit the backbone networks. The client site cache
communicates to the master cache center via the satellite
broadcasting system and, in some cases, the Internet connection.
Upon the receipt of a request from an Internet service provider,
the information at the master cache will be transmitted from a
ground station to a satellite and will be broadcast to all
receiving Internet service providers using the broadcast system
which overlays a capability onto the existing Internet that will
allow real broadcast so that the data object can be transmitted
once and received at all subscriber locations. Internet service
providers will need to subscribe to the service to be able to
receive these satellite transmissions, and in order to register
their cache misses which is a way in which a subscriber indicates
interest in a data item. A method of implementing this is disclosed
using software for updating and optimizing of the local cache sites
and capturing and processing the information through the
receivers.
Inventors: |
Humphrey, Douglas Edward;
(Laurel, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COOLEY GODWARD LLP
ATTN: PATENT GROUP
11951 FREEDOM DRIVE, SUITE 1700
ONE FREEDOM SQUARE- RESTON TOWN CENTER
RESTON
VA
20190-5061
US
|
Family ID: |
21906969 |
Appl. No.: |
10/172513 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10172513 |
Jun 17, 2002 |
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09267658 |
Mar 15, 1999 |
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6434609 |
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09267658 |
Mar 15, 1999 |
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09039710 |
Mar 16, 1998 |
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5987233 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 69/329 20130101;
H04B 7/18582 20130101; H04L 67/1001 20220501; H04L 67/5682
20220501; H04B 7/18578 20130101; H04L 67/289 20130101; H04L 67/56
20220501 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/218 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An information distribution method in a master caching system,
comprising: determining a level of user interest in information
content on the Internet based on messages generated by one or more
local caching systems, said messages being indicative of user
interest in information content at said one or more local caching
systems; and distributing said information content to at least one
local caching system beyond said one or more local caching systems
when said determined level of user interest has reached a threshold
level.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving said
information content via the Internet after said determined level of
user interest has reached a threshold level.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving said
information content via the Internet before said determined level
of user interest has reached a threshold level.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message
regarding a local caching system miss that occurs when requested
information content does not reside in the local caching
system.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said threshold level is a
predetermined level.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said distributing comprises
distributing said information content via a satellite broadcast
system.
7. An information distribution method in a master caching system,
comprising: inferring, based at least in part on information
received from one or more local caching systems, a level of
interest in information content on the Internet by users served by
a local caching system beyond said one or more local caching
systems; retrieving said information content; and distributing said
information content to a second local caching system when said
level of interest has reached a threshold level.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said received information
includes information regarding a local caching system miss that
occurs when requested information content does not reside in the
local caching system.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said threshold level is a
predetermined level.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein said information content is
retrieved via the Internet.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said retrieving occurs prior to
said level of interest reaching said threshold level.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein said retrieving occurs after
said level of interest reaches said threshold level.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein said distributing occurs prior
to a request by said second local caching system.
14. The method of claim 7, wherein said distributing comprises
distributing said information content via a satellite broadcast
system.
15. A computer program product, comprising: computer-readable
program code for causing a computer to determine a level of user
interest in information content on the Internet based on messages
generated by one or more local caching systems, said messages being
indicative of user interest in information content at said one or
more local caching systems; computer-readable program code for
causing a computer to distribute said information content to at
least one local caching system beyond said one or more local
caching systems when said determined level of user interest has
reached a threshold level; and a computer-usable medium configured
to store the computer-readable program codes.
16. A computer program product, comprising: computer-readable
program code for causing a computer to infer, based at least in
part on information received from one or more local caching
systems, a level of interest in information content on the Internet
by users served by a local caching system beyond said one or more
local caching systems; computer-readable program code for causing a
computer to retrieve said information content; computer-readable
program code for causing a computer to distribute said information
content to a second local caching system via a network broadcast
system when said level of interest has reached a threshold level;
and a computer-usable medium configured to store the
computer-readable program codes.
17. An information distribution system, comprising: means for
determining a level of user interest in information content on the
Internet based on messages generated by one or more local caching
systems, said messages being indicative of user interest in
information content at said one or more local caching systems; and
means for distributing said information content to at least one
local caching system beyond said one or more local caching systems
when said determined level of user interest has reached a threshold
level.
18. An information distribution system, comprising: means for
inferring, based at least in part on information received from one
or more local caching systems, a level of interest in information
content on the Internet by users served by a local caching system
beyond said one or more local caching systems; means for retrieving
said information content; and means for distributing said
information content to said second local caching system via a
network broadcast system when said level of interest has reached a
threshold level.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/267,658, filed Mar. 15, 1999, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/039,710
(U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,233), filed Mar. 16, 1998, each above
identified application being incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention pertains to global information networks,
currently referred to as the Internet or Internet systems, and in
particular, to a system for providing a comprehensive global
information network broadcasting system and the methods of
implementing the same using broadcast links to overcome the
limitations in network distribution and caching systems inherent in
conventional designs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The explosion of the use of Internet and other similar
systems has created massive performance demands on the Internet
Protocol (IP) and the communication infrastructure associated with
the Internet. The areas which are experiencing this communication
and application explosion may include any IP network or Internet,
public or private, or any group of computers connected together.
The present invention has particular application in the current
system referred to as the Internet.
[0004] The performance demands on the network are further
compounded by the inherent limitations in the IP network
architecture and the popularity of certain applications on the
network. Some of the most popular applications on the Internet,
such as the web browser, construct, or attempt to construct, a
point-to-point or end-to-end connection across the network. With
the Internet browser application, the Internet participant "points"
the web browser to a universal resource location ("URL") address
which, in turn, the browser uses to attempt to connect to the
network and display the information at the URL address.
[0005] An end-to-end connection across the network makes network
performance parameters such as latency and network queuing delays
into factors that dependent, at least in part, on each link in the
point-to-point chain of connection. Since IP also has inherent data
concentration characteristics, the performance of the network may
be significantly degraded by traffic concentration on the network
backbones. Thus, network performance, e.g., network latency, is
often dominated by the latency of the most congested link. Thus, a
problem in the conventional IP network is that "end-to-end" latency
may be dominated by the link with the greatest congestion. Data
concentration may cause a high latency on over-subscribed backbone
links.
[0006] A problem related to network congestion and data
concentration is the present rate of growth in the popularity of
the Internet and it's applications. The present rate of growth
makes increases in network performance, or even maintaining network
performance, simply by increasing backbone size a problematic
solution, e.g., at the current rate of growth in Internet usage,
backbones and communication equipment may require replacement
before their costs can be recovered. Thus, the conventional
architecture and pricing structure for Internet service may not be
self financing in some instances.
[0007] Another systemic source for network demand is the increase
in the number of times that the network is being called upon to
move the same data to multiple users. In practice this may be
caused by the increasing popularity of particular website or the so
called web portals.
[0008] The transport of redundant date problem has been addressed,
in part, through the use of network caches. Network caches store
data inside the network and service the user demand for data from
data stored in the cache. Thus, network caches may reduce the
number of identical items which are being passed end-to-end through
the network by locally servicing the request for data from the
local cache. The success of the network cache, however, is hampered
by the fact that the ideal location, or optimal position, for the
cache (or-caches), is at the edge of the network infrastructure as
close as possible to the end user. Thus, the optimal positioning of
caches, near the edge of the network, inherently presents
communication and coordination challenges.
[0009] Caching at the edges of the network, e.g., using many small
caches at the network edges rather than a few large central caches
at the center of the network, is further complicated by the fact
that the small caches may have a limited cache community size. A
limited or small cache community size means that there are few
users using any one cache. A small cache community size is
typically associated with a small number of request for information
which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to mathematically
achieve a high cache hit rate.
[0010] The cache hit rate is a mathematical term that expresses the
number of hits encountered in the use of the cache per 100 requests
for information. A high cache hit rate means that a high percentage
of user requests are serviced by the cache. This means that the
cache is working to reduce the load on the network. The cache hit
rate, however, is dependent upon the number of users of the cache
or members of the cache community. Thus, an engineering trade-off
exists in the conventional cache design, i.e., a cache is more
useful at improving latency at the edge of a network but the cache
will, on average, have a lower hit rate because of the small cache
community size.
[0011] Another problem in the conventional network is the level of
general broadcasting that can be accomplished within the
conventional architecture. As the Internet was established, the
vast majority of network traffic was point to point in nature. In
the present network, however, broadcast data on the network has
surpassed other forms of traffic in terms of volume, but the
network continues to have a point to point architecture which does
not provide the physical medium or logical structure to implement
broadcast within the network. The result is that the Internet is
choking itself with replicated data, moving thousands of copies of
the same data around at any given moment in time. The major
difference now and when the network originated is the increased
size of the transmission lines and switch capacity which are-able
to move more data. The IP network, however, is still using the same
basic architecture as was found in the original system.
[0012] Another factor that effects network performance is that most
of the data on the Internet is accessed infrequently. A small
proportion of the data available on the Internet is receiving the
majority of the inquiries or "hits" on the system.
[0013] There have been a number of attempts to improve network
performance. One way of approaching the problem is by employing
larger capacity storage equipment and/or faster communication
equipment. This may provide faster network response time and/or
ameliorate network congestion and delays in the short term. Indeed,
the continuing availability of larger capacity and lower cost
storage technology have made this a cost effective short term,
however, stop gap, approach to network congestion. As discussed
above, the rate of growth in the Internet's popularity may require
equipment replacement before equipment costs can be recovered.
Also, a number of United States Patents describe attempts to
improve speed and storage capacity of interactive networks through
a number of different methods--those patents include U.S. Pat. No.
5,442,771 issued to Robert Filepp et al. for a "Method For Storing
Data In A Interactive Computer Network" and the patent issued to
Ashar Aziz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,060 for a "Method And Apparatus For
A Key Management Scheme For Internet Protocols."
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is the goal of the present invention to address these
short falls and problem areas to improve performance of the
Internet. Thus, a first object of the present invention is to
achieve real improvement in the performance over conventional
caching system design through the use of a novel and nonobvious
scheme to increase the local cache hit rates by employing methods
and apparatus to improve the selection of data for storage in a
local cache.
[0015] Another object of the present invention is a way to mesh a
broadcast architecture into the point-to-point architecture of the
Internet to enable the network to achieve the advantages of a
broadcast architecture while maintaining the benefits of a
point-to-point network.
[0016] Another object of the present invention is to combine the
methods and apparatus for improved cache performance with the
methods and apparatus used to mesh a broadcast architecture onto
the point-to-point network architecture to achieve a complementary
result.
[0017] Another object of the present invention is to extrapolate
global demand for information into a tangible and practical
solution to select data for storage into local cache devices
thereby improving cache performance for caches with a small cache
community size.
[0018] Another object of the present invention is the extrapolation
of a statistically relevant sample from a list of requests for
information that may modify a threshold of interest parameter for
the selection of information into a local cache.
[0019] Another object of the present invention is to modify a
threshold of interest in the selection of data of interest for
input into a local cache based at least in part on historical
interest in local demand for said data over a predetermined window
of time.
[0020] Another object of the present invention is the employment of
a proactive way to select data for input into a local cache in
anticipation of network demand for said data of interest.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is the directed
selection of information into particular local cache to achieve
improvements in local cache performance.
[0022] Yet another object of the present invention is the
deployment of a fee based broadcast service that improves local
cache performance which in turn allows Internet service providers
to achieve a greater return on investment in communication
equipment and frees up network capacity to add additional Internet
subscribers.
[0023] These and other objects of the present invention, as
discussed in detail below, will become apparent to those skilled in
the relevant art upon disclosure of the inventions and teachings
contained herein.
[0024] A way to improve the Internet's performance is to improve
the cache hit rate for at least some of the caches in the network.
When a cache services the user's request for information, the
network conserves capacity because an end to-end connection is not
required to service the request. A novel way to improve the
selection of data for storage in a local cache is to determine the
interest in the data on the network as a whole or as a sample
determining the popularity as a whole. This may be accomplished by
a system that measures the number of access requests for
information and the type of information that were not available on
the local caches. These can be called local cache miss information.
The system may then examine the local cache miss information from
some or all of the local sites and determine what information is of
global interest to the Internet community. The system may then
determine by a variety of ways discussed further below what
information is a good selection for storage into local caches.
Thus, the system provides a way to determine the selection of
information for storage into a local cache from a pool of local
cache miss information.
[0025] A second element that may improve the operation of the
Internet is a broadcast system which takes the information or data
that has been determined to be of sufficient interest that it is
useful to input into local caches and broadcast that information
and data to the local cache systems. This action may relieve the
network from the identified problem of transporting replicated data
and redundant information across network backbones. This high speed
cache update or broadcast channel provides the network with fast
relief from redundant data transport and will quickly reduce
congestion across the entire Internet system
[0026] The two methodologies of local cache sampling and broadcast
cache updates complement and provide a synergistic solution to each
others individual weaknesses thereby allowing the two technologies
to blend into a single unique solution to the problems described
herein. For the problem of multiple identical data elements
traversing the Internet, caching represents a good solution but
because of the tradeoff issue of small cache community sizes not
providing high hit rates and the optimal positioning of the cache,
caching is limited in its practical application. Satellite one-way
broadcasting addresses this problem by, when combined with the data
evaluation and selection that is described herein, aggregating
cache community elements from all cache clients into one single
cache community and thus allowing high hit rates to be
achieved.
[0027] The use of satellite communications to provide a broadcast
medium to the Internet may be accomplished by orbital satellites
which allow a single signal to be sent up to a satellite and the
resulting signal to be sent down to large geographic areas. A
conventional satellite broadcast, however, settles from the fact
that all users may not want to use the broadcast information at
exactly the same time. The store and forward capability of a caches
such that it accepts information and then store it for a time so
that it can be used at times other than the exact time that it is
broadcast, solves the major difficulty with satellite one way
broadcast.
[0028] This invention, inter alia, teaches a method for combining
the capabilities of satellite communications and caching servers to
overcome the disadvantages of each and, at the same time, improve
the levels of hit rate that may be achieved by caching servers
thereby saving bandwidth and other valuable resources within the
Internet and other data networks which can use these technologies.
This invention, inter alia, further teaches how to construct a
selection system which uses one-way satellite communications in
order to build a true broadcast capability as an addition to the
existing point to point Internet network, and to use this broadcast
capability to aggregate the cache community size, thus increasing
the hit rates of caches on all caches which subscribe to the
service without regard to a number of members of the individual
cache server cache community size.
[0029] Thus, the present invention provides a complete
comprehensive Internet broadcasting system that employs a caching
system that is positioned close to the end user while still being
part of the shared infrastructure and achieving a high cache hit
rate. The system further provides a complete comprehensive Internet
broadcasting system which seamlessly overlays a capability on the
existing Internet that may allow a real broadcast so that the data
or information can be transmitted once and received at the local
caching systems.
[0030] This hybrid broadcast/cache architecture is very adaptable.
Furthermore, the system is easy to install and readily available to
all customers and Internet service providers. The system works with
conventional cache systems, such as those available from Inktomi,
Inc. and with conventional commercial satellite services such as
GTE Spacenet or Hughes Satellite Systems.
[0031] Particularly, this invention, inter alia, teaches a method
for implementing a comprehensive global information network
broadcasting system, for use in overcoming inherent limitations in
current global information network systems including the
requirement for multiple copies of the same information or data
being moved around the Internet to serve individual users along
with the point to point nature of the infrastructure, comprising
the steps of providing a master caching center for receiving
information requests and sending out information and data;
installing local caching systems for Internet service providers and
customers sites; providing a satellite broadcast linking system to
the local caching system for providing nearly instantaneous
information from the master caching center to the local caching
systems; disseminating a program for selecting data elements for
storage in the local caching systems; and distributing data and
information updates for the local caching systems as predetermined
by the master caching center.
[0032] This invention, inter alia, also teaches a method of
operating a comprehensive global information network broadcasting
system, for use in overcoming inherent limitations in current
global information network systems including the requirement for
multiple copies of the same information or data being moved around
the Internet to serve individual users along with the point to
point nature of the infrastructure, comprising the steps of
receiving a request for information or data from a customer to the
local cache site; determining the location of the requested
information or data among a number of location sources; notifying
the master cache center of the lack of success in finding the
requested data or information in the local cache system; analyzing
the number of requests that the master cache center has received on
a particular piece of information or data; retrieving the data or
information from the Internet once the level of interest has been
achieved; and sending the requested information or data through the
satellite broadcasting system to all local cache sites once the
data or information requests have reached a predetermined
level.
[0033] This invention, inter alia, further teaches a comprehensive
global information network broadcasting system, for use in
overcoming inherent limitations in current global information
network systems including the requirement for multiple copies of
the same information or data being moved around the Internet to
serve individual users along with the point to point nature of the
infrastructure, comprising a master caching center for receiving
information requests and sending out information and data; local
cache systems positioned at customer and Internet service provider
sites for sending out information and data requests and receiving
and storing the information requested; means for connecting said
master caching center with said local cache systems; and means for
determining the level and interest in a particular piece of
information or data and allowing the information and data to be
sent from the master caching center to the local cache systems.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0034] Further objects and features of this invention will become
ore apparent by reference to the following description taken in
conjunction with the following figures, in which:
[0035] FIG. 1 is a system diagram for the current Internet
system;
[0036] FIG. 2 is a system diagram for the novel comprehensive
global information network broadcasting system;
[0037] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a method of implementing a
comprehensive global information network broadcasting system;
and
[0038] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a method of operating a
comprehensive global information network broadcasting system.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a representative block diagram of the cache update
procedures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0040] As shown in the figures, the conventional Internet system 10
(shown in FIG. 1) may be composed of an Internet highway 11 having
a number of clients or Internet participants 12, 12a, 12b and 12c.
The clients can be an Internet service providers or corporate
customers and each one of these customers can have a large number
of their own clients or internet participants shown as 13 through
13h. In a typical Internet application, a participant, for example
participant 13, may request information from an information source
14. This request for information may originate at an application
such as a web browser at the participant's 13 equipment. A URL
request from the web browser may be output from the participant 13
and input into the participant Internet service provider 12c. The
Internet service provider may then pass the request to another
Internet service provider 12b. This Internet service provider 12b
may pass the request through cache 15 to the Internet highway 11.
The Internet highway 11 may then pass the URL request to the
information source 14. The information source 14 may then formulate
a response to the URL request from the participant 13 and send the
response back over the network 11 through cache 15, through
Internet service provider 12b, through Internet service provider
12c and to the user or participant requesting the information 13.
In the conventional network, this end-to-end transmission of URL
and URL response may be reported for each and every participant on
the network. Thus, information from information source 14 may be
redundantly transported to each participant.
[0041] If caches are activated and employed on the network 15, 15a
and 15b, they may reduce the information flow across the network
11. In a simple illustrative example, internet participant 13 may
request information from information source 14 as described above.
Active cache 15 may store the information response from the
information source 14 locally at tire cache 15. When internet
participant 13a, for example, requests the same information from
information source 14, the request for information may be satisfied
by the information stored in the cache 15. Thus, the request for
information from the second participant 13a may be terminated and
satisfied at cache 15, thereby reducing traffic across the network
11.
[0042] If caches 15 through 15b are located at positions around the
net it may reduce the number of messages sent across the network. A
problem, however, occurs in small systems, because caches in these
small systems have very few (relatively) information requests. In
order to work efficiently, cache's need to have cache community
size large enough to have a substantial hit rate. The costs
associated with conventional cache equipment prohibits cost
effective implementation in small cache community applications.
Another difficulty of the conventional system design is the network
infrastructure. Given the fact that the information has to travel
over point-to-point links, the only other way of speeding up the
service, is to widen the lines or bandwidth. This solution,
although feasible, has a finite limit and diminishing returns.
[0043] An embodiment of the comprehensive Internet broadcasting
system 20 is shown in FIG. 2. The system may be comprised of a
master cache center 21 that is operationally connected to the
Internet 22 and a satellite uplink transmitter 23 that may, in
turn, uplink data to a geosynchronous satellite 24. Typically, four
geosynchronous satellites are employed to effect planetary coverage
low and near earth orbiting satellites, however, are within the
scope of the present invention. The uplink transmitter 23 may be
duplicated for each of the geosynchronous satellites employed for
coverage. Thus, a land line, not shown, may transport the present
data to a remote uplink site to provide access to other satellite
regions.
[0044] The system may have a plurality of clients comprising
Internet service providers or customers. Each of the clients may
have a local cache system 25 through 25c which may be comprised of
a satellite broadcast receiving system 26 through 26c, a cache
adapter 27 through 27c and a cache 28 through 28c. The cache 28
through 28c may have a cache disk or cache storage device 29
through 29c for the storing of information and data received from
the Internet or the broadcast system.
[0045] The system of the present invention may also be employed
over high speed land lines and wireless terrestrial links. The
system may maintain the advantages of a point-to-multipoint
configuration through the use of high speed half duplex or
asymetric communication equipment. The system may also benefit from
direct connection into the high speed links available from network
switches operators such as the SONET and/or DS-3 connections. Thus,
it is within the scope of the present invention to establish the
high speed connection from the master cache to local caches through
terrestrial communication methods.
[0046] By way of illustrative example, the improved system may
function by a customer 31 of the Internet service provider sending
a message or a URL request to the local Internet service provider's
cache system 25 requesting information or data. The Internet
service provider's cache 28 may determine whether it has the
current version of the information or data stored on its cache. The
cache 28 may then check whether the information or data is located
in the cache adapter 27. The cache adapter in this illustrative
example, does not have the material because it does not yet store
the information. The cache adapter 27 responds negatively to the
request notifying the cache 28 to search elsewhere. The local cache
28 may then search other caches or the Internet for the requested
information. The cache adapter 27 may send a message over the
Internet to the master caching center 21 reporting the "miss" of
the requested information. The master cache 21 may then record the
information regarding the cache miss and measure the amount of
interest in the information or data from the local caching systems
25 through 25c. The master cache 21 may employ a variety of methods
described further below to determine at what point the level of
interest is sufficient to broadcast the information or data to the
Internet service providers caches.
[0047] The master cache 21 may obtain the requested information or
data from a source 30 via the Internet 22. The master cache 21 may
then compress the information for storage or transmission. The
master cache 21 may assign a priority to the information based upon
the levels of interest and a predetermined transmission formula as
described below. The information or data may be broadcast to the
satellite 24 which may, in turn, broadcast to the-satellite
receivers 26 through 26c of the Internet service providers or
customers. After the information is received by the satellite
receiver 26, it may be passed to the cache adapters 27 through 27c.
The cache adapters 27 through 27c may then formulate a user request
for the data for the local cache 28 through 28c to find the
information. This action may cause the local cache 28 through 28c
to search for the data. This time, the local cache may find the
information or data at the cache adapter 27 through 27c. The local
cache 28 through 28c may then transfer and store the information on
the cache storage disk or storage device 29 through 29c. In another
interface made of the invention, the cache adapter 27 may 5
directly transfer information to the cache file system.
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 3, the novel method for implementing a
complete comprehensive Internet broadcasting system 40 may be
comprised of the following steps: providing a master cache center
for receiving information requests and sending out information and
data 41; installing local caching systems for Internet service
provider and customers sites 42; providing a satellite or wideband
broadcast linking system for connecting the local caching systems
in order to provide nearly instantaneous information and data from
the master cache center to the local caching systems 43;
disseminating a program for selecting data elements for storage in
the local caching systems 44; and distributing data and information
updates for the local caching systems as predetermined by the
master caching center 45.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 4, a novel method of operating a
complete comprehensive Internet broadcasting system 50 may employ
the following steps in its process: receiving a request for
information and data from a customer to the local cache site 51;
determining the location by the local cache site of the requested
information or data from a number of locations sources 52;
notifying the master cache center of the lack of success in finding
the requested data or information in the local cache 53; analyzing
the number of requests that the master cache has received for a
particular piece of information or data 54; retrieving the data or
information from the Internet 55; and sending the requested
information or data through the satellite broadcasting system
to-all the local cache sites once the data or information requested
has reached a predetermined level 56.
[0050] FIG. 5 depicts a representative block diagram of the
procedures and methods that may be used to determine cache update
priority. The procedure may receive cache miss information from the
network cache adapters 100. It is understood that cache adapters 27
may be deployed as part of a subscription service to the cache
update broadcast of the present invention. Each site, however, is
not required to have a cache adapter that reports to the master
cache. So long as enough cache adapters are deployed and reporting
cache miss information to the master cache to provide a
statistically relevant sample of Internet participant demand for
Internet information, or through some other feedback methodology,
it is within the scope of the present invention.
[0051] Once the system receives the cache miss information 100 the
system may store the miss information in a volatile or non-volatile
storage device 104. This may provide a nonvolatile storage record
for the threshold calculations described below.
[0052] The first threshold of interest factor that may be employed
by the present invention is determining whether requests for
information exceed a predetermined rate 106. The rate of request
for information can be determined by collecting information as to
the time at which the request for information was received by the
system. When the rate of requests for information exceeds a
predetermined number over a predetermined time, for example 10
minutes, the system may designate the information for broadcast
120. If the rate of the requests for information does not exceed
the predetermined threshold, the system may pass the request for
information to the next rule 114.
[0053] The next rule the system may use to determine whether to
broadcast the information to the subscriber caches is to determine
whether the request for information exceeds a global demand
threshold 108. In this rule, the system may determine whether the
request for information exceeds a predetermined number for overall
demand. This parameter may identify web pages that provide a
consistent long term level of interest. If the request for
information exceeds this threshold, then the information is
designated for broadcast to the subscriber caches 122. If the
request for information does not exceed this predetermined
threshold then the system may pass the request for information to
the next rule.
[0054] The next rule determines whether to designate the
information for broadcast to a local cache based on localized
demand for the information. It is within the scope of the present
invention to store cache miss information that identifies which
subscriber cache is reporting the cache miss information. The
system may then use a predetermined threshold for localized demand.
For example, from the rules described above, which are herein
incorporated by reference, to designate whether the information
should be broadcast to a local subscriber cache 124. Thus, it is
within the scope of the present invention to update a local
subscriber cache by uniquely addressing a local cache adapter for
the broadcast cache update. In a first unique addressing mode, a
conventional satellite receiver may be addressed to receive a
unique satellite broadcast. In a second unique addressing mode, the
present invention may address the cache adapter through
conventional protocol addressing techniques. If the local
information threshold rule 110 is not exceeded, then the system may
pass the information request to the next exemplary rule 118.
[0055] The next exemplary rule 112 may determine whether the
request for information is subject to a heuristic override 112. The
heuristic override rule may determine whether a system operator has
manually designated information for broadcast. If the information
has been designated for broadcast, the system will schedule the
information for broadcast 128. If the information has not been
designated for broadcast, the system may procedure terminate and
return 132, the system may execute an override rule that does not
pertain to the request for information passed via the other rules.
It is understood that the system override rule may immediately
schedule information for broadcast to the local subscriber
caches.
[0056] The system may employ a priority scheme to broadcast cache
update data 140. The priority scheme may use a first in first out
rule or a weighted priority scheme to allow higher priority updates
such as information designated from 120, which may designate a
rapid increase in demand, for broadcast to the subscriber
caches.
[0057] The above described methods and technologies improve the
operation of the Internet by increasing the hit rate of the local
cache sites by combining them into a single cache community which
can then aggregate its usage and significantly improve the hit
rates to the benefit of the Internet service provider or end user
organization. The elements designed into the system that result in
the improvements include the use of a cache adapter at each of the
local cache sites. This adapter is informed when the local cache
site has been asked for information or data and is also informed
that the local cache site did not have the information and data.
This is important because if a local cache site doesn't have the
information or data, it requires the local cache sites to seek the
information in the Internet and then to place that information in
the local cache site.
[0058] The adapter communicates the miss information with the
master cache center. The master cache center analyzes the miss data
from all the local cache sites and determines the information and
data that are of a sufficient interest to the Internet community,
using the companion software program described below to do so. This
determines the information and data that warrants having the
information and data sent by means of the satellite connection and
thus being placed in all of the local cache sites in the
system.
[0059] Controlling the amount of information and data being sent to
the local caching sites may be useful because of the nature of the
information and data being delivered. Much, if not a majority of
the information and data available on the Internet may be
considered archival or data which is accessed so seldom as to make
it not desirable to have cached in multiple locations. Active
material are items that have a regular level of interest and is of
some benefit to have some degree of local site caching. Popular
material which is accessed regularly is worth caching. Intensive
(frequently updated) material is of questionable value caching
because it is changed so often. The factor that is under the
control of the software program described below is that the
material being sent to the local caching sites should provide value
to the Internet service providers or end user.
[0060] A number of processes can be used to improve the system.
This could include having the master cache center pre-stage
information or data that has been requested. This process allows
the master cache server to obtain the information or data even
before the evaluation has been done to determine whether it will be
sent up to the satellite. This will minimize the time delay
experienced once the determination has been made that the
information or data meets the criteria to be transmitted to all
local caching sites. The system would also use a predictive model
to position large information items that do not change frequently
and have regular levels of interest.
[0061] While I have described my invention in connection with
specific embodiments thereof, it is clearly to be understood that
this is done only by way of example and not as a limitation to the
scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in
the appended claims.
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