Loading of web resources

• US 9,769,240 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CloudFlare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CloudFlare Incorporated
• Inventors: Joel, Christopher Stephen, Benterou, Jason Thomas Walter, Holloway, Lee Hahn, Prince, Matthew Browning, Pye, Ian Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US15/156,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709233, 709235, 709246, 709203, 709217, 709226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improving loading of web resources. A server receives a request for a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document requested by a client network application. The server retrieves the requested document. The server automatically modifies objects referenced in the HTML document that have an external source such that loading of those objects by the client network application will be deferred. The server inserts a client-side script loader or a reference to the client-side script loader into the HTML document. The client-side script loader is configured to, when executed by the client network application, attempt to load the objects that have been deferred. The server transmits the modified HTML document to the client network application.

Claims

1. A method in a server for improving the loading of web resources, the method comprising:

receiving a first request from a client network application for a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document, wherein the first request identifies a domain that hosts the HTML document;

retrieving the requested HTML document, wherein the retrieved HTML document includes a plurality of client-side script objects;

modifying the retrieved HTML document including inserting a client-side script loader or a reference to the client-side script loader into the retrieved HTML document, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to, when executed by the client network application, perform the following;

initiate a single Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection with the server, and

transmit a single second request to the server over the single TCP connection for the plurality of client-side script objects; and

transmitting the modified HTML document to the client network application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a proxy server, and wherein the first request is received at the proxy server as a result of a Domain Name System (DNS) request for the domain resolving to the proxy server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the retrieved HTML document further includes modifying the plurality of client-side script objects such that the client network application will not request the plurality of client-side script objects until the client network application executes the client-side script loader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the single TCP connection with the client network application;

receiving the single second request over the single TCP connection from the client network application for the plurality of client-side script objects;

attempting to retrieve each of the plurality of client-side script objects requested in the single request;

responsive to retrieving a first one of the plurality of client-side script objects, forming a first response that includes the retrieved one of the client-side script objects and transmitting that first response to the client network application using the single TCP connection, wherein each subsequent one of the plurality of client-side script objects that is retrieved is included in the first response and streamed to the client network application asynchronously.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein attempting to retrieve each of the plurality of client-side script objects includes performing the following for each of the plurality of client-side script objects:

determining whether that client-side script object is in cache and has not expired;

responsive to determining that that client-side script object is in the cache and has not expired, retrieving that client-side script object from the cache; and

responsive to determining that that client-side script object is not in cache or is in cache but expired, performing the following;

transmitting a third request to an origin server that hosts that client-side script object, wherein responsive to receiving a second response with that client-side script object from the origin server, caching that client-side script object in the cache and including that client-side script object in the first response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to request a standard package of objects for the plurality of client-side script objects, wherein the standard package of objects is a set of one or more client-side script objects that are historically known to be included for the requested HTML document.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of client-side script objects are not locally available to the client network application.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server, cause said processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request from a client network application for a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document, wherein the first request identifies a domain that hosts the HTML document;

retrieving the requested HTML document, wherein the retrieved HTML document includes a plurality of client-side script objects;

modifying the retrieved HTML document including inserting a client-side script loader or a reference to the client-side script loader into the retrieved HTML document, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to, when executed by the client network application, perform the following;

initiate a single Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection with the server, and

transmit a single second request to the server over the single TCP connection for the plurality of client-side script objects; and

transmitting the modified HTML document to the client network application.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the server is a proxy server, and wherein the first request is received at the proxy server as a result of a Domain Name System (DNS) request for the domain resolving to the proxy server.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein modifying the retrieved HTML document further includes modifying the plurality of client-side script objects such that the client network application will not request the plurality of client-side script objects until the client network application executes the client-side script loader.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, further to provide instructions that, when executed by the processor of the server, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing the single TCP connection with the client network application;

receiving the single second request over the single TCP connection from the client network application for the plurality of client-side script objects;

attempting to retrieve each of the plurality of client-side script objects requested in the single request;

responsive to retrieving a first one of the plurality of client-side script objects, forming a first response that includes the retrieved one of the client-side script objects and transmitting that first response to the client network application using the single TCP connection, wherein each subsequent one of the plurality of client-side script objects that is retrieved is included in the first response and streamed to the client network application asynchronously.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein attempting to retrieve each of the plurality of client-side script objects includes performing the following for each of the plurality of client-side script objects:

determining whether that client-side script object is in cache and has not expired;

responsive to determining that that client-side script object is in the cache and has not expired, retrieving that client-side script object from the cache; and

responsive to determining that that client-side script object is not in cache or is in cache but expired, performing the following;

transmitting a third request to an origin server that hosts that client-side script object, wherein responsive to receiving a second response with that client-side script object from the origin server, caching that client-side script object in the cache and including that client-side script object in the first response.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to request a standard package of objects for the plurality of client-side script objects, wherein the standard package of objects is a set of one or more client-side script objects that are historically known to be included for the requested HTML document.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of client-side script objects are not locally available to the client network application.

15. An apparatus for improving the loading of a web page, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform the following;

receive a first request form a client network application for a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document;

retrieve the requested HTML document, wherein the retrieved HTML document includes a plurality of client-side script objects;

modify the retrieved HTML document including insert a client-side script loader or a reference to the client-side script loader into the retrieved HTML document, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to, when executed by the client network application, perform the following;

initiate a single Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection with the server, and

transmit a single second request to the server over the single TCP connection for the plurality of client-side script objects; and

transmit the modified HTML document to the client network application.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is a proxy server, and wherein the first request is received at the proxy server as a result of a Domain Name System (DNS) request for the domain resolving to the proxy server.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein modification of the retrieved HTML document further includes a modification of the plurality of client-side script objects such that the client network application will not request the plurality of client-side script objects until the client network application executes the client-side script loader.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the memory is configured further to store instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause said processor to perform the following:

establish the single TCP connection with the client network application;

receive the single second request over the single TCP connection from the client network application for the plurality of client-side script objects;

attempt to retrieve each of the plurality of client-side script objects requested in the single request;

responsive to retrieval a first one of the plurality of client-side script objects, form a first response that includes the retrieved one of the client-side script objects and transmit that first response to the client network application using the single TCP connection, wherein each subsequent one of the plurality of client-side script objects that is retrieved is included in the first response and streamed to the client network application asynchronously.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the attempt to retrieve each of the set of objects includes the processor to perform the following for each of the set of objects:

determine whether that client-side script object is in cache and has not expired;

responsive to a determination that that client-side script object is in the cache and has not expired, retrieve that client-side script object from the cache; and

responsive to a determination that that client-side script object is not in cache or is in cache but expired, transmit a third request to an origin server that hosts that client-side script object, wherein responsive to receipt of a second response with that client-side script object from the origin server, cache that client-side script object in the cache and include that client-side script object in the first response.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the client-side script loader is configured to request a standard package of objects for the plurality of client-side script objects, wherein the standard package of objects is a set of one or more client-side script objects that are historically known to be included for the requested HTML document.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of client-side script objects are not locally available to the client network application.