System and method for error handling and recovery

Details System and method for error handling and recovery System and method for error handling and recovery

2000-03-30

2004-02-03

Beausoliel, Robert (Department: 2184)

Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery

Data processing system error or fault handling

Reliability and availability

C714S017000, C714S043000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06687846

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of network services. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved system and method for fault tolerant content distribution over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A traditional network caching system, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, includes a plurality of clients
130
-
133
communicating over a local area network
140
and/or a larger network
110
(e.g., the Internet). The clients
130
-
133
may run a browser application such as Netscape Navigator™ or Microsoft Internet Explorer™ which provides access to information on the World Wide Web (“the Web”) via the HyperText Transport Protocol (“HTTP”), or through other networking protocols (e.g., the File Transfer Protocol, Gopher . . . etc).
The browser on each client
130
-
133
may be configured so that all requests for information (e.g., Web pages) are transmitted through a local cache server
115
, commonly referred to as a “proxy cache.” When a client
130
requests information from a remote Internet server
120
, the local proxy cache
115
examines the request and initially determines whether the requested content is “cacheable” (a significant amount of Internet content is “non-cacheable”). If the local proxy cache
115
detects a non-cacheable request, it forwards the request directly to the content source (e.g., Internet server
120
). The requested content is then transmitted directly from the source
120
to the client
130
and is not stored locally on the proxy cache
115
.
By contrast, when the proxy cache
115
determines that a client
130
content request is cacheable, it searches for a copy of the content locally (e.g., on a local hard drive). If no local copy exists, then the proxy cache
115
determines whether the content is stored on a “parent” cache
117
(located further upstream in the network relative to the Internet server
120
) or a “sibling” cache
116
(located in substantially the same hierarchical position as the proxy cache relative to the Internet server
120
from which the content was requested).
If a cache “hit” is detected on either neighboring cache
116
,
117
, the requested content is retrieved from that cache, transmitted to the client
130
, and is stored locally on the proxy cache
115
to be available for future requests by other local clients
131
-
133
. If a cache “miss” occurs, however, the content is retrieved from the source Internet server
120
, transmitted to the client
130
and a copy is stored locally on the proxy cache
115
, and possibly also the parent cache
117
, to be available for future client requests.


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