Method and system for caching read requests from a shared image in a computer network
A shared image stored in a server is shared by a plurality of clients. The shared image includes data that may be downloaded over a computer network to each of the clients. To conserve network bandwidth when downloading the data, upon receiving a request from one of the clients to download the data, the server multicasts the data to all of the clients sharing the shared image.
1 . A method of sharing images in a computer network comprising:
providing a shared image file on a server;
from clients, requesting data from the shared image file on the server; and
upon receiving a request for data from a client, multicasting from the server the data to all clients sharing the image file.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is from an application program.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is from an operating system.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data from a database.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is from an image.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the multicasted data in each of the clients.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a subsequent request for the data from one of the clients retrieves the multicasted data stored in the client.
8 . A computer comprising:
a persistent storage device storing a shared image file;
a routine stored in memory which upon receiving a request from a client over a computer network for data from the shared image file, multicasts the data over a computer network to all clients sharing the image file.
9 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the data is from an application program.
10 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the data is from an operating system.
11 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the data is from a database.
12 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the data is from an image.
13 . A system comprising:
a client computer comprising:
memory for storing data from the shared image file, upon receiving a request for data from a client over a computer network; and
a server computer comprising,:
a persistent storage device storing a shared image file; and
memory storing a routine for multicasting data from the shared image, the routine multicasts the data over a computer network to all clients sharing the image file.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the data is from an application program.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the data is from an operating system.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the persistent storage in the server is a hard drive.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the multicasted data in stored in volatile memory in each of the clients.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein a subsequent request for the data from one of the clients retrieves the multicasted data stored in volatile memory in the client.
19 . A system for sharing images in a computer network comprising:
means for providing a shared image file on a server;
means on clients for requesting data from the saved image file on the server; and
upon receiving a request for data from a client, means for multicasting from the server the data to all clients sharing the image file.