Aggregated Page Cache Validation via Composite Key

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current page refresh and cache management techniques, such as using last modified dates and ETags, are inadequate for handling aggregated web pages with varying component modifications and user-specific access rights, leading to inefficiencies in content retrieval.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for page request management that computes a key combining identifiers and last modified data for dynamically aggregated components, allowing for efficient cache validation and reducing unnecessary page regeneration by comparing this key in subsequent requests.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional last modified date or ETag is used for cache validation, then simple content caching is efficient, but aggregated pages with multiple components having different modification times cannot be properly validated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent validity detection accuracyVSAvoidhandling of aggregated page components

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the aggregated page into individual components (portlets), each with its own identifier and last modified date. Instead of treating the entire page as a single unit, the system breaks it down into manageable parts that can be independently tracked and validated, allowing precise detection of which specific components have changed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite key structure that combines multiple component identifiers and their corresponding last modified dates into a single validation key. This composite approach allows the system to validate aggregated pages by combining information from multiple sources, achieving both precision in validity detection and adaptability to complex page structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If the entire aggregated page is re-generated on every request, then content freshness is ensured, but bandwidth usage increases and system responsiveness decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent freshnessVSAvoidbandwidth usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary validation by computing a key from component identifiers and last modified dates before actual content retrieval. This preliminary check allows the system to determine in advance whether the cached aggregated page is still valid, avoiding unnecessary re-generation and reducing bandwidth consumption while ensuring content freshness when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the validation parameter from a simple timestamp or ETag to a composite key derived from multiple component identifiers and their individual last modified dates. This parameter transformation enables more granular control over content validation, allowing the system to refresh only when necessary and reducing overall bandwidth usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If user access rights are dynamically applied to aggregated components, then user-specific content visibility is achieved, but determining page validity becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser-specific content visibilityVSAvoidvalidation logic complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary validation key that mediates between the complex user access rights system and the simple cache validation mechanism. The key encapsulates the results of access rights evaluation and component visibility determination, allowing the complex user-specific logic to be performed once during key generation, while subsequent validations remain simple key comparisons.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If search engine query results embedded in pages are updated frequently, then search relevance is improved, but cache validation becomes unreliable due to changing content without component modification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch relevanceVSAvoidcache validity determination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the page content into stable structural components (portlets) and dynamic content (search results). The validation key is based on the stable component identifiers and their modification times, while allowing dynamic content to change within those components without triggering invalidation, thus maintaining cache reliability while supporting frequent search result updates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8862694B2If-none-match for aggregated page distribution

Publication Date: 2014.10.14 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for page request management for aggregated page content. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for page request management for aggregated page content can include issuing on behalf of a user a request for dynamically aggregated components in a page. The method further can include inserting into a header of the request a key computed as a combination of identifiers for the aggregated components and last modified data for the aggregated components. Finally, the method can include receiving in response to the request a new page of dynamically aggregated components for the user only if the computed key does not match a key computed for the new page. Otherwise, only a response is received indicating that the page has not been modified.