Cache Notes

ToDo List

Here are some things we can investigate to gain more information about the current state of the cache:

• Determine what the cache's average hit rate is.
• See how performance varies by increasing the cache size.
• Look into whether YouTube files are blowing out the cache.
• Run a Test Pilot or a smaller experiment to gather user cache data
  • In order to gather info on the previous bullet points

Here are some ideas for improving the cache that need to be investigated:

• Consider other eviction options
  • Prioritize by file type, giving css and js higher priority
  • Evict based on frecency, not just recency (frequency + recency)
  • Use Adaptive Replacement Cache algorithm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_replacement_cache

• Keep dimensions of evicted img files, so layout can still render before the image data arrives across the network
• Compress cache entries?
  • This could save space and improve I/O time

List of Other Cache Resources

Here are some links with other documentation on the cache.

• http://www.mozilla.org/projects/netlib/presentations/necko1-2002-02-18/slide11.xml
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/HTTP_Caching_FAQ

Here is a list of bugs filed on the cache. Many are resolved.

• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=513008
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=513074
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=549767
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=548406
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=514213
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=512849
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=443067
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=321361
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=193911
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=290032
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=355567