Origin and cache server cooperation for compute-intensive content delivery

A method executed by a cache server in a content delivery network, the method comprising:

• receiving a first request for an original object, the first request being from a client;
• determining that the first request should be satisfied by serving the client a version of the original object distinct from the original object;
• determining that the cache server cannot serve the version of the original object from its local cache to the client, and responsive to said determination, sending a second request for the original object;
• and,
• receiving a response to the second request, the response comprising a pointer enabling the cache server to locate at least one of:
• the original object and the version of the original object, within the content delivery network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium holding computer program instructions for execution on one or more processors in a cache server in a content delivery network, the computer program instructions including instructions for causing the cache server to:

• receive a first request for an original object, the first request being from a client;
• determine that the first request should be satisfied by serving the client a version of the original object distinct from the original object;
• and,
• determine that the cache server cannot serve the version of the original object from its local cache to the client, and responsive to said determination, send a second request for the original object;
• and,
• receive a response to the second request, the response comprising a pointer enabling the cache server to locate at least one of:
• the original object and the version of the original object, within the content delivery network.

A method executed by a cache server in a content delivery network, the method comprising:

• receiving a first request from a client;
• determining that an object responsive to the first request cannot be served from a local cache of the cache server;
• determining that responding to the first request with the object requires computer processing by a remote set of one or more servers in the content delivery network to generate the object, and responsive to said determination, sending a second request to an origin server associated with the object;
• and,
• receiving a response to the second request, the response comprising a pointer enabling the cache server to locate the object, previously generated, within the content delivery network.