Patent ID: 6988169
Filing Date: 2006-01-17
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of transmitting a data object over a computer network, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for at least one data object from a data processing device by a cache memory system, the cache memory system including a first cache memory and a second cache memory, the cache memory system being communicably coupled to the data processing device and at least one data storage device, wherein the first cache memory comprises a local object store operative to store a predetermined number of initial units of the requested data object, and wherein the second cache memory comprises a jitter buffer operative to counteract variable delays applied to remaining units of the requested data object by the computer network; in the event of a cache miss, fetching the predetermined number of initial units of the requested data object from the data storage device and storing the initial data object units in the local object store by the cache memory system, the predetermined number of fetched data object units being based on latency characteristics between the cache memory system and the at least one data storage device, and delivering the initial data object units from the local object store to the data processing device, while fetching the remaining units of the requested data object from the data storage device and storing the remaining data object units in the jitter buffer by the cache memory system; in response to a cache hit, delivering the initial data object units from the local object store to the data processing device, while fetching the remaining data object units from the data storage device and storing the remaining data object units in the jitter buffer by the cache memory system; and delivering the remaining data object units from the jitter buffer to the data processing device by the cache memory system, wherein the at least one data storage device comprises a plurality of data storage devices, wherein, in the event the latency characteristics between the cache memory system and the respective data storage devices are substantially the same, the predetermined number of fetched data object units corresponds to a number of data object units provided by the data storage device during a fixed interval of time, and wherein, in the event the latency characteristics between the cache memory system and at least some of the respective data storage devices are different, the predetermined number of fetched data object units corresponds to a number of data object units provided by the data storage device during a variable interval of time.