METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING REQUESTS FOR CONTENT

• US 20110119354A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• 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 8,103,746 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 network device for forwarding requests for content from a client over a network, comprising:

a processor; and

a processor readable storage medium storing instructions that enable the processor to perform actions, including;

receiving a request for content over the network and based on a determination of content generation information included within the request, determining if the requested content is dynamic or static;

if the requested content is determined to be dynamic, forwarding the request over the network to a content server that enables access to the dynamic content; and

if the requested content is determined to be static, forwarding the request over the network to a plurality of caches that enable access to the static content, wherein the plurality of caches include at least one hot cache, wherein the plurality of caches is organized in a hierarchy and wherein a higher level cache in the hierarchy is associated with a higher frequency of requests for static content than a lower frequency of requests for static content associated with a lower level cache, and wherein forwarding the request over the network to the plurality of caches that enable access to the static content further comprises recursively forwarding requests, generated from different caches in the hierarchy based on the received request and receipt of one of the recursively forwarded requests at each of the different caches in the hierarchy, through the hierarchy until a frequency of the request for static content exceeds a threshold associated with the hot cache and particular to a content set that includes the requested content.