Data Streaming for Interactive Decision-Oriented Software Applications

Abstract

Providing data to a computer software application by intercepting a request made by a computer software application to retrieve a first data set from a first data storage location, accessing a record, defined in advance of the request, that includes a reference to the first data set and a reference to a second data set, retrieving the first data set from a data storage location other than the first data storage location, and retrieving the second data set from a data storage location other than the first data storage location in advance of a request by the computer software application to access the second data set at the first data storage location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for determining an order of data retrieval based on a data retrieval plan, the method comprising:
 a) traversing a log to prioritize within the log each data element in advance of requests for data to be made by a computer software application, wherein the log was compiled during or prior to an execution of the computer software application that will make the requests for data, and wherein the traversing is performed at a time other than during the execution of the computer software application;   b) determining the order of the data retrieval based on a retrieval priority for said data element, the retrieval priority stored in the log and associated with the data retrieval; and   c) retrieving data responsive to any of the requests for data, such data being identified within the log as said data elements, wherein the retrieving is performed in accordance with the data retrieval plan that is associated with the data that are the subject of the requests for data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieving is performed during the execution of the computer software application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the retrieval priority of at least one of the requests for data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising dividing the computer software application into cores files and data files, the core files comprising a first set of computer files for executing the computer software application in a first state. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the data files comprise a second set of computer files that are used by the computer software application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising retrieving the second set of computer files in accordance with the data retrieval plan. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising retrieving one or more of the data files in response to a user's interaction with the computer software application. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the data files include a resource requested by the computer software application to achieve a second state. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the resource includes an audio file or a video file. 
     
     
         10 . The method of the  claim 4 , wherein the first state corresponds to an initial installation of said computer software application on a client device. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method comprising, in a client device comprising a microprocessor:
 receiving, from a data storage device in network communication with the client device, core files for a predefined portion of a computer software application, the computer software application comprising the core files and data files;   executing at least one of the core files to cause an execution of the predefined portion of the computer software application on the client device;   generating, during the execution of the predefined portion of the computer software application, a request for a first set of the data files;   determining whether the first set of the data files are stored locally on the client device;   when the first set of the data files are not stored locally on the client device, retrieving the first set of the data files from the data storage device in network communication with the client device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first set of the data files comprises an audio file or a video file. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining whether placeholder files for the first set of the data files are stored locally on the client device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the placeholder files indicate that the first set of the data files are not stored locally on the client device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining a retrieval priority for each data file in the first set of the data files. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the request for the first set of the data files occurs as a result of a user's interaction with the predefined portion of the computer software application. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product for determining an order of data retrieval based on a data retrieval plan, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium; and   computer-readable program code embodied in the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to:
 a) traverse a log to prioritize within the log each data element in advance of requests for data to be made by a computer software application, wherein the log was compiled during or prior to an execution of the computer software application that will make the requests for data, and wherein the log is traversed at a time other than during the execution of the computer software application; 
 b) determine the order of the data retrieval based on a retrieval priority for said data element, the retrieval priority stored in the log and associated with the data retrieval; and 
 c) retrieve data responsive to any of the requests for data, such data being identified within the log as said data elements, wherein the data is retrieved in accordance with the data retrieval plan that is associated with the data that are the subject of the requests for data. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the data is retrieved during the execution of the computer software application. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the computer-readable program code is further configured to modify the retrieval priority of at least one of the requests for data.