Master Proxy Cache Synchronization for Branch Offices
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Solution Overview
Problem
In business data network configurations, branch proxy servers often operate independently, leading to inconsistencies in cached resources, with some servers storing outdated or invalid versions, which affects application performance due to low bandwidth connections between branch offices and the data center.
Innovation Solution
A method for cache sharing among branch proxy servers, where a branch proxy server requests a master proxy server at the data center to determine if a resource is cached, creates a cache entry if not found, and transfers ownership of the cache entry to the master server to ensure synchronization across all servers, preventing version inconsistencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If companies increase the bandwidth of the interconnection between branch office and data center, then application performance is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server caches resources locally at the branch office before they are needed by applications. This preliminary action stores frequently accessed resources in advance, eliminating the need for high-bandwidth connections during actual application execution and reducing both bandwidth costs and improving performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server acts as an intermediary between the branch office and the data center. It intercepts requests, checks the cache for available resources, and only contacts the data center when necessary. This mediator role reduces the volume of data transmitted over the expensive wide area network connection.
2Device complexity
If each branch proxy server operates independently, then device complexity is reduced, but data consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the proxy server notifies the data center when resources are cached locally. The data center maintains information about which branch offices have which resources cached, enabling it to provide accurate information to other branches and maintain data consistency across the distributed system.
Solution Approach 2:
The data center acts as a central intermediary that coordinates cache information across all branch proxy servers. When one branch caches a resource, the data center is notified and can subsequently provide this cached resource information to other branches, ensuring all servers have consistent knowledge of available resources without requiring complex peer-to-peer coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for cache sharing among branch proxy servers. A branch proxy sever receives a request for accessing a resource at a data center. The branch proxy server creates a cache entry in its cache to store the requested resource if the branch proxy server does not store the requested resource. Upon creating the cache entry, the branch proxy server sends the cache entry to a master proxy server at the data center to transfer ownership of the cache entry if the master proxy server did not store the resource in its cache. When the resource becomes invalid or expired, the master proxy server informs the appropriate branch proxy servers storing the resource to purge the cache entry containing this resource. In this manner, the master proxy server ensures that the cached resource is synchronized across the branch proxy servers storing this resource.