Methods and apparatus for off loading content servers through direct file transfer from a storage center to an end-user

A system comprising:

• a content server configured to receive a request from an end-user computer for content, and transmit to said end-user computer, in response to said end-user request, said content comprising at least one storage resource locator (“SRL”), wherein said SRL comprises a unique file identifier generated from the contents of a file to identify the file associated with said content, the SRL including a field generated based upon hashing involving both a shared secret and another field of the SRL, the another field including both (1) an op code field that comprises an op code that specifies a selected operation from a plurality of operations that is to be performed involving the file and (2) an argument list that comprises one or more arguments corresponding to the selected operation, the one or more arguments being generated based upon a hash of the contents of the file;
• and
• a storage center configured to receive a request for said file from said end-user computer, transmit said SRL for said file, and transmit, to said end-user computer, said file identified by said SRL.

A storage center comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of files;
• a storage control configured to receive a request from an end-user computer, remote from said storage center, for at least one file, and transmit said file to said end-user computer, said request comprising at least one storage resource locator (“SRL”) corresponding to said file, and wherein said SRL comprises a unique file identifier generated from the contents of a file to identify the file associated with content that said end-user computer downloaded from a content server, the SRL including a field generated based upon hashing involving both a shared secret and another field of the SRL, the another field including both (1) an op code field that comprises an op code that specifies a selected operation from a plurality of operations that is to be performed involving the file and (2) an argument list that comprises one or more arguments corresponding to the selected operation, the one or more arguments being generated based upon a hash of the contents of the file.