Transaction accelerator for client-server communications systems

A system for accelerating communication between network hosts, comprising:

• a plurality of network devices comprising at least a first network device, a second network device and a third network device;
• referenced data storage, in each of the first, second and third network devices, the referenced data storage for storing referenced data that is referenced by globally unique references, a reference being globally unique in that it is distinguishable from other references that might be used to reference different referenced data;
• interception logic, in the first network device, for intercepting communications between a first network host and a second network host such that the communication is via the first network device and the second network device;
• transforming logic, in the first network device, for transforming data of a communication between the first host and the second host including at least substituting some of the data of the communication between the first network device to the second network device with globally unique references that reference data in the referenced data storage of at least one of the first, second or third network devices;
• and
• a reference resolver, in the second network device, that resolves received globally unique references that are unknown to the second network device by transmitting a request message to resolve the unknown reference of data, sent to at least one of the plurality of network devices other than the second network device.