Accurate caching in adaptive video streaming based on collision resistant hash applied to segment contents and ephemeral request and url data

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a caching proxy device, a first request message of a respective client device, the first request message requesting a current content segment from a sequence of data segments of a data file for a current streaming data session of the client device;
• determining that a NewVideoFlag indicates that the sequence of data segments of the data file for the current streaming data session associated with the first request message is not currently being, and has not previously been, stored in a cache storage by the caching proxy device;
• forwarding the first request message to a content server, and receiving a first response message in response to the first request message, the first response message including the requested current content segment;
• determining that a SegmentID of the received current content segment does not match that of any content segments stored in the cache storage;
• setting the NewVideoFlag to indicate that the sequence of data segments of the data file for the current streaming data session associated with the first request message is currently being stored in the cache storage by the caching proxy device;
• generating a global video file identifier (cVideoFileID) to identify the data file for the current streaming data session currently being stored in the cache storage by the caching proxy device;
• storing at least the current content segment in the cache storage, and updating cache bookkeeping data to associate the cached current content segment with the SegmentID thereof and with the generated cVideoFileID;
• and
• providing the first response message to the client device.