Method and system for distributing requests for content

• US 20030065743A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jenny, Patrick Duncan, Tennican, Scott P., Amdahl, Carlton G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for caching content, such as content requested from a server on the World Wide Web. Requests for dynamic content are forwarded directly to a content server to avoid caching data that might only be used once. Requests for static content are forwarded to a hot or a regular cache depending on the frequency at which the content is requested. When a hot cache does not contain the content, it forwards the request to the forwarder which then forwards the request to a regular cache. When the regular cache does not contain the content, it requests the content from the forwarder which then forwards the request to a content server. There may be more than two layers of cache.

Claims

1. A method of forwarding requests for content from a client over a network, comprising

(a) receiving a request for content and determining at least one type of the requested content;

(b) when the type of the requested content is determined to be dynamic, forwarding the request to a content server that enables access to the dynamic content; and

(c) when the type of the requested content is determined to be static, forwarding the request to a plurality of caches that enable access to the static content, wherein the plurality of caches include at least one hot cache.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hot cache caches static content when a frequency of requests for the static content exceeds a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the static content is unavailable in the hot cache, forwarding the request to another cache in the plurality of caches.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the static content is unavailable from any one of the plurality of caches, forwarding the request to the content server that enables access to the static content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprises examining the request for an extension indicating that a process is performed in response to the request, wherein the process includes at least one of an application program and a script.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes information associated with a plurality of resource identifiers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the resource identifiers are uniform resource locators (URLs).

8. A method for forwarding requests for content from a client over a network, comprising:

(a) determining a frequency that static content is requested;

(b) when the frequency of requests for static content exceeds a threshold, forwarding the request to the cache, wherein the content is obtained when unavailable in the cache by actions, including;

(i) generating another request for the content; and

(ii) forwarding the other request to another cache determined by hashing an identifier associated with the content.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

when the frequency of requests for static content is below the threshold, hashing the identifier associated with the content to obtain a value and forwarding the request to a cache associated with the value.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the content is unavailable from the other cache, another request for the content is forwarded to a content server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when content is unavailable from the other cache, another request for content is forwarded to the content server which forwards the other request for content to an additional cache.

12. A system for forwarding a request for content from a client over a network, comprising:

(a) a forwarder that receives each request for content and forwards each request to at least one of a content server and a cache;

(b) the content server is coupled to the forwarder, wherein the content server sends content to the client in response to each request that is forwarded to the content server; and

(c) the cache is coupled to the forwarder, wherein the cache sends content to the client in response to each request that is forwarded to the cache.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the cache includes an additional cache, and wherein the hot cache, the regular cache, and the additional cache are arranged in a hierarchical order for receiving each forwarded request for content from the forwarder, and wherein each cache that receives the forwarded request for content that is unavailable, generates an additional request for the content and sends the additional request to the forwarder.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the forwarder is coupled to the content server over a wide area network/local area network.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the forwarder is coupled to the content server over a communications medium.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the information includes at least one of where the request is generated, the frequency of requests for the content, and the nature of the content requested.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarder is further structured to forward requests to the content server when the information indicates that the request is generated by the regular cache.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarder is further structured to forward requests to the hot cache when the information indicates that the rate of requests exceeds a threshold.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the forwarder is further structured to forward requests to the regular cache when the information indicates that the request is generated by the hot cache.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the hot cache and the regular cache are located on the same device.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the server uses a hash table to calculate the number of requests for the content.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the content includes information associated with a plurality of resource identifiers.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the resource identifiers are uniform resource locators (URLs).

24. A method of forwarding requests for content from a client over a network, comprising:

(a) means for receiving a request for content and determining at least one type of the requested content;

(b) when the type of the requested content is determined to be dynamic, means for forwarding the request to a content server that enables access to the dynamic content; and

(c) when the type of the requested content is determined to be static, means for forwarding the request to a plurality of caches that enable access to the static content, wherein the plurality of caches include at least one hot cache.

25. A modulated data signal including computer-executable instructions for forwarding requests for content from a client over a network, comprising:

(a) a forwarder that receives each request for content and forwards each request to at least one of a content server and a cache;

(b) a transceiver that couples the content server to the forwarder, wherein the content server sends content to the client in response to each request that is forwarded to the content server; and

(c) another transceiver that couples the cache to the forwarder, wherein the cache sends content to the client in response to each request that is forwarded to the cache.