A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN INTERNET CACHE

摘要

The Passive Internet Cache ("PIC") system builds a global cache at or near end-user nodes, and substantially avoids response delays at end-user nodes arising from the exchange of request and response messages between a remote terminal and a hub node in a star topology network. Specifically, the PIC system "passively listens" using a secondary monitor (204) to all HTTP responses in an outbound channel (216) and enables end-user nodes interfaced with remote terminals (209) to use the contents of all HTTP responses in an outbound channel (216), reduces the repetitive transmission of the same HTTP response payloads over an outbound channel (216), and in dual channel networks also reduces the need to send HTTP requests over an inbound channel (214). The PIC system operates in any star topology network, including without limitation VSAT systems, Direct-to-Home satellite systems, and multichannel multipoint distribution service.