Web server cache pre-fetching

摘要

A method and apparatus for a server that includes a file processor that interprets each requested data file, such as a web page, requested by a client in a process analogous to that of a browser application or other requesting application. The file processor initiates the loading of each referenced data item within the requested document in anticipation that the client will make the same requests upon receiving the requested data file. Each referenced data item is loaded into the server cache. When the client browser application requests these referenced data items they can be returned to the client browser application without accessing a slower persistent data storage. The requested data items are loaded from the server cache, which has a faster access time than the persistent data storage.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a web server of a computing system from a web browser of a client, a request for a web page provided by the web server; in response to the request from the client, retrieving the web page from a data source, wherein the web page is a data file with a plurality of embedded content indicators, each of the plurality of embedded content indicators defining at least one of a link, a reference or a pointer to a data item external to the data file; sending, by the web server, a first copy of the web page to the web browser, wherein the web browser interprets the first copy of the web page to identify the plurality of embedded content indicators; sending, by the web server, a second copy of the web page to a file processor, wherein the file processor executes separately from the web server; identifying the plurality of embedded content indicators of the web page by the file processor, wherein the file processor is configured to interpret the second copy of the web page like the web browser interprets the first copy; passing the identified plurality of embedded content indicators to content retrieval components to retrieve the data items specified by the plurality of embedded content indicators; and storing the data items into a web server cache, wherein the data items are stored into the web server cache prior to a request for the data items by the web browser from the data source.