Patent ID: 8560692

Claim:
A method of providing caching for a URL filtering process in a computer network, the method comprising: providing a user-specific cache that includes a plurality of user cache areas; allocating each user in a plurality of users a user cache area in the plurality of user cache areas, each user cache area in the plurality of user cache areas including a plurality of entries reserved for data pertaining to URL filtering for a particular user in the plurality of users; updating a first user cache area in the plurality of user cache areas to include a reference to a first entry in a general cache area that is shared by a first user and a second user in the plurality of users, the first entry in the general cache area including URL filtering results for a first URL in network communications between a first client computer employed by the first user in the plurality of users and a first web server computer, the first user cache area being reserved for the first user; updating a second user cache area in the plurality of user cache areas to include a reference to a second entry in the general cache area to cache URL filtering results for a second URL in network communications between a second client computer employed by the second user in the plurality of users and a second web server computer, the second user cache area being reserved for the second user; updating a reference count in the first entry in the general cache area to indicate a number of user cache areas referencing the first entry in the general cache area; checking the plurality of user cache areas for a reference to an entry in the general cache area for cached data of results of URL filtering performed on a third URL; and performing URL filtering on the third URL when the plurality of user cache areas does not have a reference to an entry in the general cache area for cached data for the third URL; wherein the method is performed in a gateway computer through which the first client computer and the second client computer access the Internet.