System and method for performing granular invalidation of cached dynamically generated objects in a data communication network

A device for invalidating a cached dynamically generated object responsive to a signal of a packet processing timer, the device processing a network packet comprising at least one dynamically generated object and storing the at least one dynamically generated object in a cache, the device comprising:

• a packet processing timer generating a first signal, the first signal providing a time for expiration of a cached dynamically generated object of less than or equal to a duration of time to dynamically generate and serve the dynamically generated object from an originating server;
• a packet processing engine receiving the first signal and reading an incoming network packet responsive to the first signal;
• and
• transmitting, by the packet processing engine responsive to the first signal, a second signal to a cache indicating a cached dynamically generated object is invalid.

In a packet processing engine of a device, a method for invalidating a cached dynamically generated object in the cache responsive to a signal of a packet processing timer, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a packet processing engine, a plurality of requests from a plurality of clients for a dynamically generated object;
• receiving, by the packet processing engine, the dynamically generated object;
• storing, by the packet processing engine in a cache, the dynamically generated object;
• responding, by the packet processing engine, to the plurality of requests with the dynamically generated object;
• receiving, by the packet processing engine, an incoming network packet;
• receiving, by the packet processing engine, a first signal from a packet processing timer, the first signal directing the packet processing engine to process the incoming network packet, the first signal providing a time for expiration of a cached dynamically generated object of less than or equal to a duration of time to dynamically generate and serve the dynamically generated object from an originating server;
• and
• transmitting, by the packet processing engine responsive to the first signal, a second signal to the cache indicating the cached dynamically generated object is invalid.