Method and apparatus for prefetching data items to a cache

An apparatus having a processor, a memory and a cache, the processor being adapted to perform the steps of:

• obtaining a list of candidate data items to be prefetched, wherein a number of candidate data items is larger than the predetermined number of data items to be prefetched to the cache, wherein each candidate data item is associated with a score, the score indicating a likelihood of the candidate data item to be retrieved from the cache;
• and
• repeatedly selecting a candidate data item from the list and determining whether to add the candidate data item to the cache, wherein said selecting is based on an order of the list, wherein the order of the list is based on scores of the candidate data items, wherein said determining whether to add the candidate data item to the cache comprises:
• determining whether the candidate data item is retained by the cache;
• and
• in response to determining that the candidate data item is not retained by the cache, adding the candidate data item to the cache;
• wherein said repeatedly selecting and determining are performed until the predetermined number of data items is added to the cache.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• obtaining a list of candidate data items to be prefetched, wherein a number of candidate data items is larger than the predetermined number of data items to be prefetched to the cache, wherein each candidate data item is associated with a score, the score indicating a likelihood of the candidate data item to be retrieved from the cache;
• and
• repeatedly selecting a candidate data item from the list and determining whether to add the candidate data item to the cache, wherein said selecting is based on an order of the list, wherein the order of the list is based on scores of the candidate data items, wherein said determining whether to add the candidate data item to the cache comprises:
• determining whether the candidate data item is retained by the cache;
• and
• in response to determining that the candidate data item is not retained by the cache, adding the candidate data item to the cache;
• wherein said repeatedly selecting and determining are performed until the predetermined number of data items is added to the cache.