Systems and methods for depth based cache authoritativeness

A system for determining authoritativeness of an object in a cache, the system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more non-transitory memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
• receive a request for an object maintained at long-term storage (LTS) system and associated with a hierarchical directory in a file system;
• retrieve the object from the LTS system;
• store the object in the cache such that the object is associated with metadata indicating (i) a storage time at which the storage occurred and (ii) whether the object is authoritative;
• detect a stimulus to determine whether the object is authoritative;
• responsive to detecting the stimulus, determine whether the object is authoritative by comparing the cache storage time to a cache freshness interval indicative of a duration the object is considered authoritative, wherein:
• the cache freshness interval is derived based upon a depth of the object in the hierarchical directory, objects at a greater depth from a depth level member in the hierarchical directory are associated with a shorter cache freshness interval than objects at a lesser depth from the depth level member in the hierarchical directory;
• the object is authoritative when the cache storage time is less than the cache freshness interval, and
• the object is non-authoritative when the cache storage time is greater than the cache freshness interval;
• and
• responsive to determining that the object in the cache is non-authoritative, set the metadata indicating whether the object is authoritative to indicate that the object is not authoritative.

One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least:

• receive a request for an object maintained at long-term storage (LTS) system and associated with a hierarchical directory in a file system;
• retrieve the object from the LTS system;
• store the object in a cache such that the object is associated with metadata indicating (i) a storage time at which the storage occurred and (ii) whether the object is authoritative;
• detect a stimulus to determine whether the object is authoritative;
• responsive to detecting the stimulus, determine whether the object is authoritative by comparing the cache storage time to a cache freshness interval indicative of a duration the object is considered authoritative, wherein;
• the cache freshness interval is derived based upon a depth of the object in the hierarchical directory, objects at a greater depth from a depth level member in the hierarchical directory are associated with a shorter cache freshness interval than objects at a lesser depth from the depth level member in the hierarchical directory;
• the object is authoritative when the cache storage time is less than the cache freshness interval, and
• the object is non-authoritative when the cache storage time is greater than the cache freshness interval;
• and
• responsive to determining that the object in the cache is non-authoritative, set the metadata indicating whether the object is authoritative to indicate that the object is not authoritative.