Digital River, Inc.

Stephane Kasriel

Walter Rezin Mann

Xavier Casanova

Sara Swanson

A system and method for delivering content on a network using differential caching is described. A request for information is received from a request-generating element coupled to a browser associated with a client through the network. A static portion and a dynamic portion of a document to be included in a response as the requested information are identified based on previously cached information by utilizing a software element that is not part of the client. The static portion is cached in a memory that is logically local to the client that requested the information. The static portion is served to the request-generating element from the cached memory. The dynamic portion is served to the request-generating element from the network. The static portion and the dynamic portion are integrated using the request-generating element into the document included in the response to the browser as the requested information.

Delivering content on a network using differential caching system and method

A network object predictive pre-download device operable on a network logically between a web client and a web server on a network is described. The pre-download device includes a prediction engine that intercepts a request from the web client to the web server for a first network object and determines a second network object most probable to be requested in the future from the web server. The pre-download device also includes a cache primer that intercepts a response to the request from the web server and sends a first message to the web client informing the web client of the second network object to be cached by the web client. The cache primer also sends the second network object to the web client such that the second network object is predicatively pre-downloaded to the web client whereby second network object latency is reduced when an actual user request occurs.

Network object predictive pre-download device

A method for transmitting a web page to a client device is described. Template information, sub-template information, and delta information are identified based on a request for information from the client device. The template information includes seldom changing elements of a web page. The sub-template information includes: (i) information that changes less frequently than delta information, and (ii) elements of a web page shared by several templates. At least one of the template information, sub-template information, and delta information is retrieved from a location other than an originating server that is the original provider of information requested by the client device. The request is responded to by sending to the client device the template information, sub-template information and delta information. In addition, a system for transmitting a web page to a client device is described.

Differential caching with template, sub-template, and delta information

A method of providing a web-site performance analysis service is disclosed that gathers data relative to visits to web-pages that are associated with a web-site. Traversals are identified that correspond to each visit to the web-pages. Each identified traversal has an identification of either an incoming link from which each visit originated or an outgoing link to which each visit terminated. A time duration is measured that corresponds to each visit. A chart of a statistical distribution of pages-per-visit of the identified traversals is formed. The identified traversals and time duration corresponding to each visit is stored in a memory. The stored data from the memory is transferred to a database. Performance measures are produced that correspond to each visit to the web-pages based on the stored data in the database. A web-site performance analysis system that implements this method also is disclosed.

Web-site performance analysis system and method of providing a web-site performance analysis service

A toolbar is provided that is synchronized with a web-site browser system. The toolbar provides an interface to a path analysis system that provides path analysis data related to a select web-page. By synchronizing the toolbar to the browser, the path analysis system provides path analysis data related to the web-page that the browser is currently displaying. By displaying the path analysis data coincident with the content of the web-page from the browser, the user is provided a direct visual association between the actual web-page and the traversals to and from the web-page. By synchronizing the toolbar with the browser, the user can view the path analysis data of each page as the user navigates through the web-site using the same technology that a typical web-site visitor would use. The toolbar in a preferred embodiment is also configured to be synchronized to the movements of a cursor within the browser, and to highlight the path analysis data associated with each link as the cursor is brought in proximity to the link on the displayed web-page.

Path-analysis toolbar

A method for enabling pre-downloading of network objects to a web client from a web server is described. The method includes intercepting at a device a request from a web client to a web server for a first network object. The same device intercepts a response to the request from the web server. The device determines a second network object most probable to be requested in the future from the web server. Subsequently, a message is sent from the device to the web client the first message informing the web client of the second network object to be cached by the web client. A second message is sent from the web client requesting the second network object. The second network object is received and predicatively pre-downloaded into a cache whereby a latency for requesting the second network object is reduced when requested in response to an actual user request.

Predictive pre-download of a network object

A method and system for responding to a request from a client for a web page using delta caching is described. Building templates for the web at the server(s) is functionally separated and logically remote from the request server. One or more template-builders are logically separated from one or more delta-encoders. Each operates independently to perform its part of delta caching; template-builders build templates for the web page, while delta-encoders use those templates and a received web object to compute delta information for the web page. Delta-encoders, like template-builders, are logically remote from the request server. The delta information for the web page and a reference to the template can be separately sent to the client.

Delta caching service

Techniques for predictive predownload of templates with delta caching are used to substantially minimize the time needed to send objects from a server to a client. A template builder generates templates for each web page. A prediction engine maintains a prediction map, responsive to web pages and other objects, the objects including the templates for web pages. The prediction engine selects objects likely to be requested by the client making the particular request, such as a next page or an object referenced by a page. A delta encoder for a page determines a delta between a current version of that page, and a template for that page, and encodes the page for delivery to the client using template information and delta information. The client is able to present the web page in response to the template information (which is likely already present at the client) and the delta information.

Predictive predownload of templates with delta encoding

A technique for increased efficiency of content delivery over a network is described. Instances of web pages are divided into (1) templates including those elements of a web page that are relatively unchanging and (2) delta information including those elements that are ephemeral or customized. Each template is compressed and cached at an originating server. Transmission of the delta information is decoupled from transmission of the template. When a user requests a page, the compressed template is sent (either from an originating server or a mirror thereof). The delta information is compressed and sent separately. Since the template is only compressed once and is cached locally, it requires less bandwidth and allocation of other computing resources to transmit than transmission of a compressed web page.

Efficient compression using differential caching

The invention provides a technique for serving relatively non-static content in a CDN (content delivery network). Content is pushed out from an originating server to a set of mirroring servers using differential caching. Each requestable object is separated into template and delta information. The originating server determines templates for differential caching, and causes those templates to be distributed using the CDN. Each mirroring server in the CDN is able to access a copy of a recent template for each request. Hosting of the template information is decoupled from hosting of the delta information. Delta information can include (a) changes to the template information since last distributed, or (b) personalized information specific to the client or to the request. Delta information can be served separately from the originating server, or can be served separately from mirroring servers using a CDN (possibly the same CDN as used to serve template information).

Content delivery network using differential caching

It is desirable to send documents to a user in such a way as to minimize the bandwidth and other computer resources required. To this end, a document may be categorized as (1) delta information (information that changes rapidly), (2) sub-template information (information that changes less frequently) and (3) template information, which changes very seldom. The template information and sub-template information are compressed and cached at a site remote from the requesting party. Compressing and caching both sub-template information and template information results in a significant savings of bandwidth and computing resources, such as would be required if the sub-template information were treated as delta information and were not stored in a cache as is the case in the prior art. This savings is enhanced when the compressed template and sub-template information are sent to a large number of users.

Template identification with differential caching

The invention provides a method for predicting which network objects are likely to be requested by a web user from a web server, such as that used in conjunction with an internetworking environment. A request made by a web user for a web object is parsed and dynamic values contained therein normalized. A prediction is made based on the normalized request, statistical measures, and other factors about what other web objects the web user is likely to request. The predictive information is then made available to the web server and the predicted net objects are pre-downloaded to the Web client. A pre-download statistics server may be used to record and provide statistics to assist in the prediction process. Examples described herein relate to web pages, but the invention is broadly applicable to many different types of requests for information (such as, for example, database queries and other libraries of information.)

Predictive pre-download using normalized network object identifiers

A data collection system collects statistics related to each visit to each web-page within a web-site. In addition to collecting path information related to traversals to and from each web-page, the system collects information regarding the particular session, such as the visitor's connection speed, the time required to download the web-page to the visitor's system, the duration of time that the visitor spent at the page, whether the user clicked the 'back' button to leave the site, and so on. The data reporting system presents statistics based on the collected data in an easy-to-use and easy-to-understand form that is customizable by the user. By collecting and reporting performance factors related to each web-page, or sets of web-pages within a web-site, marketers and webmasters can address any perceived deficiencies and/or can optimize the performance of select pages to achieve specific marketing objectives. To optimize performance and minimize storage requirements, the data collection system uses a two-stage storage architecture. Data is collected in one or more registers in a sequential fashion, and transferred to a database periodically.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Stephane Kasriel