Server-side caching for web user interfaces

A server device comprising:

• a memory configured for a cache;
• a processing system having at least one processor, the processing system being configured to perform operations comprising:
• configuring the cache to store, for each of a plurality of users, data for a plurality of widgets that are displayable on a user interface provided by a web application;
• responsive to at least one request from the user interface of a client device, initiating a refresh of the cache for one or more of the plurality of widgets;
• and
• transmitting, to the client device, a first set of data obtained from the cache for the one or more of the plurality of widgets before the cache is updated in response to the initiated refresh, followed by a second set of data obtained from the cache for at least one of the one or more of the plurality of widgets after the cache is updated in response to the initiated refresh.

A client device comprising:

• a display device;
• a network communication interface configured to communicate with a server device;
• and
• a processing system having at least one processor, the processing system being configured to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a user request to display a user interface of a web application, the user interface being configured to have a plurality of widgets arranged thereon;
• in response to the received user request to display, transmitting a first data request to the server device;
• displaying the user interface on the display device using a second set of data received after a first set of data is received in response to the first data request, wherein the displaying includes overwriting, for one or more of the plurality of widgets, information previously displayed using the first set of data,
• wherein the first set of data is obtained from a cache for the one or more of the plurality of widgets before the cache is updated by a refresh of the cache initiated in response to the user interface being launched on the client device, and wherein the second set of data is obtained from the cache after the cache is updated by the initiated refresh.

A method comprising:

• configuring a cache to store in a memory of a computer, for each of a plurality of users, data for a plurality of widgets that are displayable on a user interface provided by a web application;
• responsive to at least one request from the user interface of a client device, initiating a refresh of the cache for one or more of the plurality of widgets;
• and
• transmitting, to the client device, a first set of data obtained from the cache for the one or more of the plurality of widgets before the cache is updated in response to the initiated refresh, followed by a second set of data obtained from the cache for at least one of the one or more of the plurality of widgets after the cache is updated in response to the initiated refresh.