Automatic Speculation Configuration Management

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, if executed by a processor of an intermediary server, will cause said intermediary server to perform operations, comprising:

• receiving a first request from a client network application that identifies a first resource that is handled by an origin server;
• retrieving the identified first resource from the origin server, wherein the retrieved first resource includes a set of one or more links to a set of one or more second resources respectively;
• generating a first response to the first request, wherein the generated first response includes a first header that includes a reference to a configuration for speculatively prefetching at least one of the set of second resources, and wherein the generated first response includes the retrieved first resource;
• transmitting the generated first response to the client network application;
• receiving, from the client network application, a second request for the configuration for speculatively prefetching at least one of the set of second resources;
• transmitting a second response to the client network application that includes the configuration for speculatively prefetching the at least one of the set of second resources;
• receiving, from the client network application, a third request for a third resource that corresponds to the at least one of the set of second resources indicated in the configuration, wherein the third request includes a second header that indicates that the request is for prefetching the third resource;
• retrieving the third resource;
• and
• transmitting, to the client network application, a third response that includes the third resource.

An intermediary server, comprising:

• a processing system;
• and
• a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium coupled to the processing system, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by the processing system, causes the intermediary server to perform operations including:
• receiving a first request from a client network application that identifies a first resource that is handled by an origin server,
• retrieving the identified first resource from the origin server, wherein the retrieved first resource includes a set of one or more links to a set of one or more second resources respectively,
• generating a first response to the first request, wherein the generated first response includes a first header that includes a reference to a configuration for speculatively prefetching at least one of the set of second resources, and wherein the generated first response includes the retrieved first resource,
• transmitting the generated first response to the client network application,
• receiving, from the client network application, a second request for the configuration for speculatively prefetching at least one of the set of second resources,
• transmitting a second response to the client network application that includes the configuration for speculatively prefetching the at least one of the set of second resources,
• receiving, from the client network application, a third request for a third resource that corresponds to the at least one of the set of second resources indicated in the configuration, wherein the third request includes a second header that indicates that the request is for prefetching the third resource,
• retrieving the third resource, and
• transmitting, to the client network application, a third response that includes the third resource.