Identifying and requesting data in network using identifiers which are based on contents of data

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers;
• determining a data identifier for a particular data file, the data identifier being determined using a given function of the data, wherein said data used by the given function to determine the data identifier comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers, said providing being based on the data identifier of the particular data file.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers;
• for a particular data file having a particular name specifying a location in the network at which the data file may be located, determining another name for the particular data file, the other name including a data identifier determined using a given function of the data, where said data used by the given function comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including the other name of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers, at least some of the data files being cached versions of data files from another server, distinct from the network of servers;
• determining a data identifier for a particular data file, the data identifier determined using a given function of the data, wherein said data used by the given function comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• causing a set of data files to be distributed across a network of servers, at least some of the data files being cached versions of data files from another server distinct from the network of servers;
• determining a data identifier for a particular data file, the data identifier determined using a given function of the data, wherein said data used by the given function comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, causing the particular data file to be provided from a given one of the servers of the network of servers.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers, at least some of the data files being cached versions of data files from another server distinct from the network of servers;
• determining a data identifier for a particular data file, the data identifier determined using a given function of the data, wherein said data used by the given function comprises the contents of the particular data file, and wherein the given function randomly distributes its outputs;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers, said providing being based on the data identifier of the particular data item.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers;
• determining an MD5 hash of the contents of a particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the MD5 hash of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers, said providing being based on the MD5 hash of the particular data file.

A content delivery method, comprising:

• distributing a set of data files across a network of servers, at least some of the data files being cached versions of data files from another server, said other server being distinct from the network of servers;
• determining a data identifier for a particular data file, the data identifier including a hash of the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data file, providing the particular data file from a given one of the servers of the network of servers.

A method of delivering a data file in a network comprising a plurality of processors, some of the processors being servers and some of the processors being clients, wherein some processors in the network communicate with each other using a TCP/IP communication protocol, wherein a key is required to identify a data file on the network and wherein ordinarily the key is a name or address for the data file, the method comprising:

• storing some data files on a first server in the network and storing copies of some of the data files on a set of cache servers distinct from the first server;
• determining a different cache key from the ordinarily used cache key, the different cache key being a function of the contents of the data it represents;
• and
• responsive to a client request for the data file, the request including the different cache key for the data file, providing the data file to the client.

In a network comprising a plurality of processors, some of the processors functioning as servers and some of the processors functioning as clients, wherein some processors in the network communicate with each other using a TCP/IP communication protocol, wherein a key is required to identify a data file on the network and wherein ordinarily the key is a name or address for the data file, a method of delivering a data file:

• storing some data files on a first server in the network and storing copies of some of the data files from the first server on a set of cache servers distinct from the first server;
• for a particular data file, determining a different cache key from the ordinarily used cache key for the data file, the different cache key being determined using a message digest function MD5 of the data, wherein said data used by the MD5 function comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• responsive to a client request for the particular data file, the request including the different cache key for the data file, causing the particular data file to be provided to the client,
• wherein the data file may be a file, a portion of a file, a page in memory, a digital message, a digital image, a video signal or an audio signal.

A content delivery method in a network in which at least some processors in the network communicate with each other using a TCP/IP communication protocol, the method comprising:

• for a particular data file having a particular name specifying a location in the network at which the data file may be located, determining another name for the particular data file, the other name including a data identifier determined using message digest function MD5 of the data, wherein said data used by the MD5 function comprises the contents of the particular data file;
• and
• in response to a request for the particular data file, the request including the other name of the particular data file, causing the particular data file to be provided from a given one of the servers of the network of servers,
• wherein the data file may be a file, a portion of a file, a page in memory, a digital message, a digital image, a video signal or an audio signal.

A method, in a network comprising a plurality of processors, some of the processors functioning as servers and some of the processors functioning as clients, wherein some processors in the network communicate with each other using a TCP/IP communication protocol, wherein a key is required to identify a file on the network and wherein ordinarily the key is a name or address for the file, the method comprising:

• storing some files on a first server in the network and storing copies of some of the files from the first server on a set of cache servers distinct from the first server;
• for a particular file, determining a different cache key from the ordinarily used cache key for the file, the different cache key being determined using a message function MD5 of the data, wherein said data used by the MD5 function comprises the contents of the particular file;
• and
• responsive to a client request for the particular file, the request including the different cache key for the file, causing the particular file to be provided to the client,
• wherein the data in the file may represent a digital message, a digital image, a video signal or an audio signal.