Peer-distributed Web caching with incremental update scheme

A peer-distributed Web caching scheme, with incremental update, is proposed that allows a client to retrieve a ´patch´ from the original server and the ´patchable´ stale cache from a local or a peer cache storage. The stale cache together with the patch then regenerates the up-to-date file for the client. The protocol of the scheme is described and the benefits are analysed. Implementation issues are discussed. The experimental results show that most updates are minor and patches are generally smaller than the original file. The proposed scheme is efficient in reducing intercluster traffic and improving response time.