Query Cache TTL Penalty Box for Freshness and Hit Rate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing query caching systems struggle to determine optimal Time-to-live (TTL) values for cached queries, leading to inefficient cache management and potential serving of stale data.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for dynamically adjusting the TTL of cached query entries by monitoring payload changes and implementing a penalty state mechanism to ensure data freshness and optimize cache utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a fixed TTL value is set for cached queries, then cache management is simplified, but data freshness cannot be optimized and stale data may be served

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecache managementVSAvoiddata freshness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic TTL adjustment by monitoring payload changes and automatically modifying cache expiration times. Instead of using a fixed TTL value, the system adapts TTL based on observed data change patterns, allowing cache management to remain simple while ensuring data freshness through automated adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop by continuously monitoring whether cached payloads have changed in the database. This feedback mechanism triggers TTL adjustments - extending TTL when data is stable and reducing it when changes are detected - thereby maintaining data freshness without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If TTL is extended to keep queries in cache longer, then cache hit rate improves, but stale data may be served

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecache hit rateVSAvoiddata correctness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors database changes and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust TTL. When payload changes are detected, TTL is reduced to prevent serving stale data. When data remains stable, TTL is extended to maintain high cache hit rates, thus balancing productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the TTL parameter dynamically based on observed data stability. The system adjusts this critical cache parameter in response to payload change detection, allowing optimal cache performance while ensuring data correctness through adaptive parameter modification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If TTL is reduced to ensure data freshness, then data correctness improves, but cache utilization decreases and retrieval time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata correctnessVSAvoidcache utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than using a uniformly reduced TTL, the system dynamically adjusts TTL for different queries based on their individual data stability patterns. Queries with stable data receive extended TTL for high cache utilization, while queries with frequent changes receive reduced TTL for data correctness, optimizing both metrics simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different TTL values to different cache entries based on their local characteristics - specifically, the stability of their associated payloads. This localized approach allows each query to have an optimized TTL that balances data correctness and cache utilization according to its specific data change patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If payload change monitoring is implemented, then data freshness is ensured, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata freshnessVSAvoidcache management system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting payload changes and adjusting TTL values without external intervention. The cache management system monitors itself, triggering TTL adjustments based on observed data changes, thereby ensuring data freshness while minimizing the need for complex external control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring mechanism creates a simple feedback loop: detect payload change → trigger TTL adjustment. This straightforward feedback-based approach ensures data freshness through automated response to change detection, avoiding the need for complex predictive models or manual management procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250355879A1Query TTL penalty box in auto
Publication Date: 2025.11.20 CAST AI GROUP INC
  • US20250355879A1 patent drawing
  • US20250355879A1 patent drawing
  • US20250355879A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for managing time-to-live (TTL) associated with queries stored in a cache, the method comprising a processor performing the following operations in an iterative manner: receiving a query; determining whether the query is stored in the cache; for the query being determined as stored in the cache, determining whether a TTL associated with the query is valid; for the TTL being determined as valid, returning a payload that corresponds to the query from the cache; and for the TTL being determined as invalid: running the query through a query database to retrieve the payload that corresponds to the query; determining whether the query is in an active penalty state; and for the query being determined to be in the active penalty state, performing penalty review and dynamic penalty adjustment.