Patent ID: 7398382

Claim:
A method comprising: storing a plurality of boot images on a boot server; receiving a first boot image download request from a client at the boot server; downloading one of the plurality of boot images from the boot server to the client; caching the boot image at a network device along a communication path linking the client to the boot server, wherein the network device is one of a plurality of network devices linking the client to the boot server; maintaining a list of which boot images are cached at each of the plurality of network devices; receiving a second boot image download request at the boot server; and sending a directive from the boot server to the network device to download the boot image that is cached on the network device to the client; embedding caching indicia in packets corresponding to the boot image that are sent from the boot server to the client via the network device to download the boot image; employing a packet filter at the network device, the packet filter enabled to identify packets containing the caching indicia; and in response to identifying such packets; caching the packets; reassembling the packets to form the boot image; and storing the boot image on a local file store accessible to the network device.