Patent ID: 6170013
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
An apparatus communicatively coupling at least one client to a data network, the apparatus comprising: a storage device, operative to store and retrieve information on demand; a controller, coupled to the storage device, operative to receive information from the data network on behalf of and in response to a client request and to provide the requesting client with the received information, wherein the controller is operative to modify an expiration time of the received information and store the received information in the storage device, wherein the subsequent requests for the information are satisfied by retrieving the information from the storage device at least until the modified expiration time has passed and a look-up table comprising a plurality of attributes of potential responses assigned to corresponding expiration time modifiers, wherein said controller is operative to determine which one of said plurality of attributes said received information corresponds to, and operative to modify said expiration time of said received information based on a corresponding expiration time modifier.