Storage resources and caching techniques permeate almost every area of communication networks today. In the near future, caching is set to play an important role in storage-assisted Internet architectures, information-centric networks, and wireless systems, reducing operating and capital expenditures and improving the services offered to users. In light of the remarkable data traffic growth and the increasing number of rich-media applications, the impact of caching is expected to become even more profound than it is today. Therefore, it is crucial to design these systems in an optimal fashion, ensuring the maximum possible performance and economic benefits from their deployment. To this end, this article presents a collection of detailed models and algorithms, which are synthesized to build a powerful analytical framework for caching optimization.

127 pages, 46 figures