Efficient indexing of feed updates for content feeds

1. A method, comprising:

for each entity in a set of entities within an online network, generating a corresponding index comprising one or more lists of resizable blocks storing feed updates associated with the entity, wherein each list of resizable blocks is associated with a different feed update type;

storing a set of new feed updates associated with the entities in descending chronological order by, for each entity:

using the index corresponding to the entity to match one or more attributes of a new feed update associated with the entity to a key for a list of resizable blocks, wherein:

each resizable block represents a storage block in memory; and

the key for the list of resizable blocks includes the feed update type associated with the list and an entity ID for the entity;

writing the new feed update to a first resizable block in the list; and

when a size limit of the first resizable block is exceeded by a write of another new feed update to the first resizable block:

adding a second resizable block to the list; and

storing a portion of feed updates associated with the first resizable block in the second resizable block;

using the indexes to generate, by a computer system, a content feed comprising a selection of stored feed updates for outputting to a viewer;

generating a visual representation of the content feed comprising the selected feed updates; and

presenting the visual representation of the content feed to the viewer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the indexes to generate the content feed comprises:

identifying a subset of the entities associated with the viewer;

using the indexes to retrieve a set of recent feed updates associated with the subset of entities;

calculating a set of relevance scores representing a relevance of the recent feed updates to the viewer; and

ranking the recent feed updates by the relevance scores.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein using the indexes to generate the content feed further comprises:

applying one or more filters to the set of recent feed updates prior to ranking the recent feed updates by the relevance scores.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein using the indexes to retrieve the set of recent feed updates comprises:

using metadata in the indexes to access a subset of the resizable blocks comprising a time range of feed updates in the content feed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the metadata comprises:

a first timestamp of an oldest feed update in a resizable block;

a second timestamp of a newest feed update in the resizable block; and

a number of feed updates in the resizable block.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the portion of feed updates associated with the first resizable block in the second resizable block comprises:

moving the portion of feed updates from the first resizable block to the second resizable block.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise:

an entity identifier; and

a feed update type.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entity is at least one of:

a user;

a company;

an educational institution;

a group;

a skill; and

a tag.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the feed updates comprises:

an entity identifier;

an update identifier;

a feed update type; and

a time of creation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of feed updates comprises at least one of:

a post;

an article;

a job listing;

a like;

a share;

a comment;

a follow;

a connection;

an interaction with a group;

a profile update;

a profile view;

a click; and

a hide.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

for each entity in a set of entities within an online network, generate a corresponding index comprising one or more lists of resizable blocks storing feed updates associated with the entity, wherein each list of resizable blocks is associated with a different feed update type;

store a set of new feed updates associated with the entities in descending chronological order by, for each entity:

using the index corresponding to the entity to match one or more attributes of a new feed update associated with the entity to a key for a list of resizable blocks, wherein:

each resizable block represents a storage block in memory; and

the key for the list of resizable blocks includes the feed update type associated with the list and an entity ID for the entity;

writing the new feed update to a first resizable block in the list; and

when a size limit of the first resizable block is exceeded by a write of another new feed update to the first resizable block:

adding a second resizable block to the list; and

storing a portion of feed updates associated with the first resizable block in the second resizable block;

use the indexes to generate a content feed comprising a selection of stored feed updates for outputting to a viewer;

generate a visual representation of the content feed comprising the selected feed updates; and

present the visual representation of the content feed to the viewer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein using the indexes to generate the content feed comprises:

identifying a subset of the entities associated with the viewer;

using the indexes to retrieve a set of recent feed updates associated with the subset of entities;

calculating, for the set of recent feed updates, a set of relevance scores representing a relevance of the recent feed updates to the viewer; and

ranking the recent feed updates by the relevance scores.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein using the indexes to retrieve the set of recent feed updates comprises:

using metadata in the index to retrieve a subset of the resizable blocks comprising a time range of feed updates in the content feed.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the metadata comprises:

a first timestamp of an oldest feed update in a resizable block;

a second timestamp of a newest feed update in the resizable block; and

a number of feed updates in the resizable block.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein storing the portion of feed updates associated with the first resizable block in the second resizable block comprises:

moving the portion of feed updates from the first resizable block to the second resizable block.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise:

an entity identifier; and

a feed update type.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage mechanism comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the system to store a set of feed updates associated with a set of entities within an online network in descending chronological order by, for each entity:

using the index corresponding to the entity to match one or more attributes of a new feed update associated with the entity to a key for a list of resizable blocks, wherein:

each resizable block represents a storage block in memory; and

the key for the list of resizable blocks includes the feed update type associated with the list and an entity ID for the entity;

writing the new feed update to a first resizable block in the list; and

when a size limit of the first resizable block is exceeded by a write of another new feed update to the first resizable block:

adding a second resizable block to the list; and

storing a portion of feed updates associated with the first resizable block in the second resizable block; and

an indexing apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:

for each entity in a set of entities within an online network, generating a corresponding index comprising one or more lists of resizable blocks storing feed updates associated with the entity, wherein each list of resizable blocks is associated with a different feed update type;

use the indexes to generate a content feed comprising a selection of stored feed updates for outputting to a viewer;

generate a visual representation of the content feed comprising the selected feed updates; and

present the visual representation of the content feed to the viewer.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein using the indexes to generate the content feed comprises:

identifying a subset of the entities associated with the viewer;

using the indexes to retrieve a set of recent feed updates associated with the subset of entities;

calculating, for the set of recent feed updates, a set of relevance scores representing a relevance of the recent feed updates to the viewer; and

ranking the recent feed updates by the relevance scores.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each resizable block in the list of resizable blocks is associated with a unique key that includes the entity ID, the feed update type and a non-negative integer representing a position of the resizable block in the list of resizable blocks.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

each resizable block in the list of resizable blocks is associated with a unique key that includes the entity ID, the feed update type and a non-negative integer representing a position of the resizable block in the list of resizable blocks.