Alias-free content-indexed object cache

Abstract

A method for caching information objects is provided. Information objects are stored in portions of a non-volatile storage device called arenas, which are contiguous regions from which space is allocated in parallel. Objects are contiguously allocated within an arena and are mapped to directory tables that provide an efficient search mechanism. Each object is identified by a name key and a content key. The name key is constructed by applying a hash function to the composition of the name or URL of the object along with implicit or explicit context about the request. The content key is constructed by applying a hash function to the entire contents of the object data. Buckets and blocks in the directory tables store tags and subkeys derived from the keys. Since duplicate objects that have different names will hash to the same content key, the cache can detect duplicate objects even though they have different names, and store only one copy of the object. As a result, cache storage usage is dramatically reduced, and tracking object aliases is not required. The disclosure also encompasses a computer apparatus, computer program product, and computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave that are configured similarly.