Profile based caching to enhance data availability in push/pull mobile environments

Caching techniques have been successfully employed to overcome some of the problems posed by disconnection and/or limited bandwidth in mobile environments. Demand driven and prefetching techniques to maintain optimal caches have been found to have limited success in such environments. We develop profile based methods to maintain and enhance data availability at mobile client's caches. Profiling techniques determine data items to be prefetched and cached depending on a user group and context. We have developed a prototype system that demonstrates the applicability of the proposed scheme in a crisis management situation. Results of implementation of the above technique in experimental mobile environments show that profile based caching can significantly enhance data availability in mobile and ubiquitous environments.