Patent ID: 6088721
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method comprising the following steps at a server:setting a sequence number to a sequence number initialization value;entering a server wait state;upon receiving a file transmission request, selecting a file and attaching a header to the file, the header including a filename, a timestamp, and a sequence number;transmitting the file to a plurality of caching servers;determining whether a file retransmission request by a caching server has been received, the file retransmission request including an identification of the caching server and the last timestamp, the last timestamp including a timestamp of the last file which has been successfully received by the caching server;if the server determines that the file retransmission request has been received, retransmitting to the caching server which sent the file retransmission request files having timestamps greater than the last timestamp;if the file retransmission request has not been received, determining if more files need to be transmitted to any of the plurality of caching servers;if no more files need to be transmitted, changing the sequence number, and entering the server wait state; andif more files need to be transmitted, changing the sequence number and performing the step of selecting a file.