Shared web page caching at browsers for an intranet

Abstract

Each client in an intranet includes at least the minimum functionality required to serve a remote request such as an HTTP request. Existing browsers within the intranet may share their collective local caches to form a scalable cache. The intranet proxy routes page requests from one client within the intranet to another when a local cache within the intranet contains a current copy of the requested page. A trust protocol insures that clients serving as caches may be trusted by the proxy, while a refresh mechanism such as a time-out policy ensures that the page is reloaded after a predetermined period of time. The collective cache thus scales with the number of browsers in the intranet, and existing browsers may be employed without direct modification. The same mechanism may be utilized, either within a network or through an Internet service provider, to permit individuals and companies to maintain Web sites on their own personal systems without paying fees for uninterrupted connection to the Internet.