Patent ID: 8285821
Filing Date: 2012-10-09
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A tangible storage device storing a computer readable program for forward caching, wherein the computer readable program when executed on at least one computer causes the at least one computer to: store a software image on a storage device of a backend server, the backend server providing virtual disk storage on the storage device through a plurality of intermediate network points for a plurality of diskless data processing devices, wherein the intermediate network points are network appliances connecting the plurality of diskless data processing devices to a network, the backend server connects to the intermediate network points through the network, and each diskless data processing device communicates directly with the intermediate network points; maintain a software image database at the backend server of the software image and the corresponding image instance; query the plurality of intermediate network points for each diskless data processing device connected to each intermediate network point; select an image instance of the software image for a first intermediate network point if accesses of the software image by diskless data processing devices connected to the first intermediate network point exceed an access threshold; cache the image instance of the software image at the first intermediate network point in response to selecting the first intermediate network point; detect an update to the software image on the storage device; and copy the updated software image to the first intermediate network point as an updated image instance in response to detecting the update.