Data Caching, Distribution and Request Consolidation in a Local Network

A system, comprising:

• one or more processors included in a plurality of machines;
• memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• at the plurality of machines, which are included in a linear communication orbit, wherein the linear communication orbit terminates at two end nodes, comprising a head node and a tail node, and the linear communication orbit is coupled to a server via one of the two end nodes:
• generating a data request by a first machine to request specific data;
• passing the data request along a data request path that tracks the linear communication orbit until the data request is received at a second machine, in the linear communication orbit, that returns the specific data in response to the data request;
• returning the specific data from the second machine to the first machine;
• and
• after returning the specific data to the first machine, continuing to send the specific data to a third machine and conditionally storing the specific data in a local cache of the third machine according to a data caching method, wherein:
• the plurality of machines includes the first machine, the second machine, and the third machine;
• and
• the plurality of machines are ordered in an ordered sequence in the linear communication orbit based on a predefined set of rules, with the first machine between the second and third machines in the ordered sequence.