EXPEDITED SUB-RESOURCE LOADING

• US 20160373544A1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fastly Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fastly Incorporated
• Inventors: Souders, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 11,070,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and software for pre-fetching and/or pre-loading sub-resources used in rendering HTML files, web pages and the like are provided herein. Implementations include expedited sub-resource loading in which a cache node or other content delivery network component receives a first end user device request seeking a primary resource (e.g., an HTML file). Using information in the first request, the content delivery network pre-fetches one or more identified sub-resources (e.g., JavaScript code) required for rendering of the HTML file. Pre-fetched sub-resources are held by the cache node. During parsing of the HTML file by the end user device, a web browser or other application requires the sub-resource(s) and the end user device thus sends a second request to the cache node asking for the required sub-resource(s). The cache node sends the requested, pre-fetched sub-resource(s).

Claims

1. A method of operating a cache node that caches content for delivery to end user devices, the method comprising:

receiving a content request for a web page from an end user device;

responsively sending an HTML file corresponding to the requested web page to the end user device;

identifying a sub-resource that is required for rendering the requested web page;

requesting the identified sub-resource from a sub-resource source prior to receiving a request from the end user device for the identified sub-resource;

receiving the identified sub-resource from the sub-resource source; and

sending the identified sub-resource to the end user device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the sub-resource comprises consulting a repository.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the repository is one of the following:

a database;

a lookup table;

a historical record of user sub-resource requests associated with the web page.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the sub-resource comprises the cache node scanning the HTML file to identify a reference to the identified sub-resource.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to responsively sending the HTML file page to the end user device, wherein a reference to the identified sub-resource is contained in a body in the HTML file, editing the HTML file by advancing the identified sub-resource reference to a higher position in the HTML file body.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request for the sub-resource from the end user device subsequent to identifying a sub-resource that is required for rendering the requested web page.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to receiving the end user device request for the web page, caching the HTML file in the cache node.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the cache node receiving a sub-resource request from the end user device prior to the cache node sending the identified sub-resource to the end user device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sub-resource comprises JavaScript code.

10. A computer apparatus to operate a cache node in a content delivery network, the computer apparatus comprising processing instructions that direct the cache node, when executed by the cache node, to:

receive a content request from an end user device for a web page;

responsively send a primary resource corresponding to the requested web page to the end user device;

identify a sub-resource that is required for rendering the requested web page;

request the identified sub-resource from a sub-resource source prior to receiving a request from the end user device for the identified sub-resource;

receive the identified sub-resource from the sub-resource source; and

send the identified sub-resource to the end user device.

11. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the primary resource comprises an HTML file;

and

further wherein the sub-resource comprises JavaScript code.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing instructions further direct the cache node to identify the sub-resource by consulting a repository.

13. The computer apparatus of claim 12 wherein the repository is one of the following:

a database;

a lookup table;

a historical record of user sub-resource requests associated with the web page.

14. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing instructions further direct the cache node to identify the sub-resource by scanning the primary resource to identify a reference to the identified sub-resource.

15. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing instructions further direct the cache node to receive a sub-resource request from the end user device prior to the cache node sending the identified sub-resource to the end user device.

16. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing instructions further direct the cache node to:

prior to responsively sending the HTML file page to the end user device, wherein a reference to the identified sub-resource is contained in a body in the HTML file, edit the HTML file by advancing the identified sub-resource reference to a higher position in the HTML file body.

17. A cache node that caches content for delivery to end user devices, the cache node comprising:

a storage system configured to cache web page content comprising an HTML file corresponding to a web page;

responsive to a content request from an end user device for the web page, a network interface and processing circuitry configured to;

receive the content request from the end user device;

responsively send to the end user device the HTML file corresponding to the requested web page;

identify sub-resource that is required for rendering the requested web page;

request the identified sub-resource from a sub-resource source prior to receiving an end user device request for the identified sub-resource; and

receive the identified sub-resource from the sub-resource source.

18. The cache node of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to identify the sub-resource by consulting a repository.

19. The cache node of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to identify the sub-resource by scanning the primary resource to identify a reference to the identified sub-resource.

20. The cache node of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive a sub-resource request from the end user device prior to the cache node sending the identified sub-resource to the end user device.

21. The cache node of claim 17 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

prior to responsively sending the HTML file page to the end user device, wherein a reference to the identified sub-resource is contained in a body in the HTML file, edit the HTML file by advancing the identified sub-resource reference to a higher position in the HTML file body.

22. The cache node of claim 17 wherein the sub-resource comprises JavaScript code.