Proxy-based cache content distribution and affinity

A distribution network for retrieving cached content comprising:

• a load balancer that receives requests from one or more client computing systems and that routes said content requests to one or more edge caching servers, and wherein each edge caching server to which a content request is routed comprises:
• an edge caching unit having at least one hardware processor and memory for caching content obtained from one or more origin servers;
• and
• an edge routing unit which receives content requests from the load balancer, the edge routing unit comprising at least one hardware processor and memory containing computer-executable instructions which, when implemented, cause the edge routing unit to route the received content requests to one or more of the plurality of edge caching servers where the content of the received content requests is likely to be cached by performing a computer-implemented method that comprises:
• identifying which of the plurality of edge caching servers content for one or more of the received content requests would be in if the content for the one or more received content requests were to be cached within the plurality of edge caching servers;
• and
• routing the one or more of the received content requests to the identified edge caching server.

A computer-implemented method for retrieving cached content from a hierarchy of edge caching servers, the computer-implemented method being performed by one or more processors executing computer executable instructions for the computer-implemented method, and the computer-implemented method comprising:

• caching content at a plurality of edge caching servers, wherein cached contents are stored at one or more edge caching units of the edge caching servers;
• receiving at a load balancer one or more content requests from one or more client computing systems;
• without being aware of where any content corresponding to the received content requests may reside in the plurality of edge caching servers, routing from the load balancer said content requests to one or more edge caching servers, and wherein each edge caching server to which a content request is routed comprises an edge routing unit configured to route the received content requests to one or more of the plurality of edge caching servers where the content of the received content requests is likely to be cached, and wherein the routing is performed by:
• identifying which of the plurality of edge caching servers content for one or more of the received content requests would be in if the content for the one or more received content requests were to be cached within the plurality of edge caching servers;
• and
• routing the one or more of the received content requests to the identified edge caching server.

One or more hardware storage devices containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a computer-implemented method for retrieving cached content from a hierarchy of edge caching servers, and wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

• caching content at a plurality of edge caching servers, wherein cached contents are stored at one or more edge caching units of the edge caching servers;
• receiving at a load balancer one or more content requests from one or more client computing systems;
• without being aware of where any content corresponding to the received content requests may reside in the plurality of edge caching servers, routing from the load balancer said content requests to one or more edge caching servers, and wherein each edge caching server to which a content request is routed comprises an edge routing unit configured to route the received content requests to one or more of the plurality of edge caching servers where the content of the received content requests is likely to be cached, and wherein the routing is performed by:
• identifying which of the plurality of edge caching servers content for one or more of the received content requests would be in if the content for the one or more received content requests were to be cached within the plurality of edge caching servers;
• and
• routing the one or more of the received content requests to the identified edge caching server.