Patent ID: 7330880
Filing Date: 2008-02-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a network cache, the method comprising: caching, in a storage of the network cache, objects obtained from one or more origin servers; servicing a first object request from a client by retrieving a first requested object from said storage of the network cache; servicing a second object request from a client by retrieving a second requested object from an origin server to the network cache while limiting, in the network cache, to a number of in-progress object requests that the network cache can send to the origin server, to a maximum number, wherein limiting the number of in-progress object requests comprises temporarily preventing object requests from being sent from the network cache to the origin server, and wherein the maximum number is selected so as to prevent the origin server from being overloaded with requests forwarded for concurrent processing and is selected based on any one or more of: a number of network caches which are installed to protect the origin server from server overload, a connection reliability between the network cache and the origin server, and a memory capacity of the origin server; and queuing object requests from clients in the network cache while object requests are being prevented from being sent from the network cache to the origin server.