Systems and methods for improving media file access over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for serving fresh media content while minimizing Internet traffic by periodically checking content freshness between a local server and a remote server; if a stale content exists on the local server, replacing the stale content with a fresh content from the remote server; and serving the fresh content from the local server.

1 . A method to serve fresh media content, comprising:
 a. periodically checking content freshness between a local server and a remote server;   b. if a stale content exists on the local server, replacing the stale content with a fresh content from the remote server; and   c. serving the fresh content from the local server.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the checking of content freshness is done during an off-peak hour. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising modifying a user's response by directing matching requests to the local server and forwarding non-matching requests to the Internet. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising controlling traffic using one or more proxies. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising providing one or more reverse proxies. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising forcing certain requests to route through the local server. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising communicating through a primary local area network (LAN) directly coupled to the Internet. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the local server is coupled to the LAN. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising communicating through one or more sub-LANs coupled to the primary LAN. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the local server is coupled to one of the sub-LANs. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising providing educational adaptive diagnostic assessment of student performance. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 a. receiving one or more parameters for an assessment and one or more sets of test questions for a sub-test;   b. selecting a set of test questions from the sub-test;   c. presenting the selected set of test questions to the student and collecting responses thereto;   d. generating a score for the responses to a completed set;   e. applying the score to select either the current set of questions or a new set of test questions; and   f. using a final score for the sub-test to select a new set of questions in a subsequent sub-test.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the parameters comprise one or more of: a number of subtests; a number of sets of questions for each subtest; a number of questions per set of questions; an assessment starting point; a grade level; a student age; a prior score; a parameter specifying a transition between subtests; a parameter specifying a movement within a subtest; a termination condition for each subtest; a termination condition for the assessment; a graphical interface parameter; an audio parameter; a summary score formula. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a student responds to test questions through a teacher management application. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the student responds to test questions through a third party application having a security key code. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the student begins the assessment based on one of: a grade level, an age, a student type, a previous test score from a completed assessment. 
   
   
       17 . A system, comprising:
 a. a remote server to store fresh content;   b. a wide area network coupled to the remote server; and   c. a local server coupled to the wide area network, the local server periodically replacing stale content with fresh content from the remote server and serving the fresh content in response to a request from one or more clients coupled to the local server.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the local server comprises one or more proxies and reverse proxies. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17 , comprising a primary local area network (LAN) directly coupled to the Internet, wherein the local server is coupled to the LAN. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising one or more sub-LANs coupled to the primary LAN, wherein the local server is coupled to one of the sub-LANs.