System and method for reading ahead of content
View Patent ↗A communication system for retrieving content stored in a content server (e.g., web server) is disclosed. The system includes a client that is configured to transmit a message requesting content specifying an object from a content server. The system also includes a plurality of proxy servers that include a downstream proxy server and an upstream proxy server. The downstream proxy server is configured to communicate with the client. The upstream proxy server is configured to retrieve the content from the content server and to forward information associated with the object over a data network to the downstream proxy server prior to the client transmitting another message requesting the object. The above arrangement has particular application to a wide area network, such as a satellite network.
1. A communication system comprising:
a downstream proxy server configured to communicate with a client that is configured to transmit a message requesting content including an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page specifying an object from a content server, wherein the message includes a cookie associated with the client; and
an upstream proxy server configured to include the cookie in a read-ahead request if the cookie is supported by the content server, to retrieve the object, based on the cookie, from the content server and to forward the object based on a predetermined criteria relating to the object, including time-to-live of the object and the object being marked as uncacheable, over a data network to the downstream proxy server prior to the client transmitting another message requesting the object.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the downstream proxy server and the upstream proxy server communicate over a communications link that includes at least one of plurality of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections to support parallel Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transactions, and a multiplexed connection of HTTP transactions.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the data network includes at least one of a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite network, and a terrestrial wide area network (WAN).
4. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
other downstream proxy servers in communication with the upstream proxy server, the upstream proxy server multicasting the object to the downstream proxy servers over the data network.
5. A method of providing content to a client, the method comprising:
receiving a message, forwarded by a downstream server, from the client;
determining whether the message includes a cookie associated with the client;
including the cookie in a read-ahead request if the cookie is supported by a content server;
retrieving the content including an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page specifying an object based on the read-ahead request and the cookie; and
forwarding the object over a communications link to the downstream server based on a predetermined criteria relating to the object, wherein the predetermined criteria includes time-to-live of the object and the object being marked as uncacheable, prior to the client transmitting a message requesting the object.
6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the communications link in the transmitting step includes at least one of plurality of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections to support parallel Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transactions, and a multiplexed connection of HTTP transactions.
7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the communications link in the transmitting step is established over a data network that includes at least one of a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite network, and a terrestrial wide area network (WAN).
8. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
retrieving the object; and
multicasting the object to the downstream server.
9. A method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
forwarding a list specifying expected objects corresponding to the content, wherein the downstream server blocks requests from the client for objects on the list.
10. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the downstream server explicitly tracks objects stored in a local cache, the downstream server forwarding the message only if the object associated with the requested content is not stored in the local cache.
11. A network device comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a message, forwarded by a downstream server, from a client;
at least one processor configured to determine whether the message includes a cookie associated with the client, and to include the cookie in a read-ahead request if the cookie is supported by a content server;
wherein the processor is further configured to cause the network device to retrieve content including an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page specifying an object from a content server based on the read-ahead request and the cookie, and to forward the object over a communications link to the downstream server based on a predetermined criteria relating to the object, including time-to-live of the object and the object being marked as uncacheable, prior to the client transmitting a message requesting the object.
12. A network device according to claim 11 , wherein the communications link includes at least one of a plurality of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections to support parallel Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transactions, and a multiplexed connection of HTTP transactions.
13. A network device according to claim 11 , wherein the communications link is established over a data network that includes at least one of a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite network, and a terrestrial wide area network (WAN).
14. A network device according to claim 11 , wherein the object is retrieved and multicast to the downstream server.
15. A network device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the network device to forward to the downstream server a list specifying expected objects corresponding to the content, wherein the downstream server blocks requests from the client for objects on the list.
16. A network device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the object is cacheable, wherein the object is forwarded if the object is cacheable.
17. A device according to claim 11 , wherein the downstream server explicitly tracks objects stored in a local cache, the downstream server forwarding the message only if the object associated with the requested content is not stored in the local cache.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for providing content to a client, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
receiving a message, forwarded by a downstream server, from the client;
determining whether the message includes a cookie associated with the client;
including the cookie in a read-ahead request if the cookie is supported by a content server;
retrieving the content including an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page specifying an object based on the read-ahead request based on the cookie; and
forwarding the object over a communications link to the downstream server based on a predetermined criteria relating to the object, wherein the predetermined criteria includes time-to-live of the object and the object being marked as uncacheable, prior to the client transmitting a message requesting the object.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the communications link in the transmitting step includes at least one of plurality of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections to support parallel Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) transactions, and a multiplexed connection of HTTP transactions.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the communications link in the transmitting step is established over a data network that includes at least one of a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite network, and a terrestrial wide area network (WAN).
21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors further perform the step of:
retrieving the object; and
multicasting the object to the downstream server.