Prefetching content from incoming messages

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for prefetching content from incoming messages. A computer receives an incoming message containing one or more resource links. The computer may then determine if the resource links contained in the incoming message are likely to be accessed. In response to determining that one or more of the resource links are likely to be accessed, the logic determines if the target content of the resource link has previously been cached, and if any previously cached data is current. In response to determining that the requested content has not previously been cached, or is not current, the logic begins downloading the requested content for local consumption. When the cached content is requested, the cached data is provided to the user. Upon receiving requests for the cached content from other connected client terminals, the cached content may also be served to the other requesting client terminals.

1 . A method for prefetching content from incoming messages, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer, an incoming message;   scanning the incoming message for one or more resource links;   in response to detecting one or more resource links, determining the likelihood of receiving a request to access each of the detected one or more resource links;   in response to determining that a request will likely be received to access the detected one or more resource links, prefetching content of the one or more resource links; and   in response to subsequently receiving a request for access to the resource link content, serving the cached prefetched resource link content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prefetching further comprises:
 determining if the content contained in the prefetched resource link has previously been cached.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content has previously been cached, determining if the prefetched resource link content is current; and   in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content is not current, caching the prefetched resource link content.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving one or more requests from one or more other computers for access to the resource link content, serving the cached prefetched resource link content to each of the requesting one or more other computers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is made available for local consumption. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is stored on a proxy server, wherein content cached to a proxy server may be received by a plurality of client devices, and each client receives the prefetched resource link content via the proxy server rather than an original content source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the incoming message contains a file attachment, caching the file attachment. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   a mechanism for connecting to a network;   a memory coupled to the processor;   processing logic for:
 receiving, at a computer, an incoming message; 
 scanning the incoming message for one or more resource links; 
 in response to detecting one or more resource links, determining the likelihood of receiving a request to access each of the detected one or more resource links; 
 in response to determining that a request will likely be received to access the detected one or more resource links, prefetching content of the one or more resource links; and 
 in response to subsequently receiving a request for access to the resource link content, serving the cached prefetched resource link content. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the prefetching further comprises:
 determining if the content contained in the prefetched resource link has previously been cached.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , the processing logic further comprising logic for:
 in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content has previously been cached, determine if the prefetched resource link content is current; and   in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content is not current, cache the prefetched resource link content.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , the processing logic further comprising logic for, in response to receiving one or more requests from one or more other computers for access to the resource link content, serving the cached prefetched resource link content to each of the requesting one or more other computers. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is made available for local consumption. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is stored on a proxy server, wherein content cached to a proxy server may be received by a plurality of client devices, and each client receives the prefetched resource link content via the proxy server rather than an original content source. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , the processing logic further comprising logic for, in response to determining that the incoming message contains a file attachment, caching the file attachment. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions embodied therein, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by a processing device, allows a machine to:
 receive, at a computer, an incoming message;   scan the incoming message for one or more resource links;   in response to detecting one or more resource links, determine the likelihood of receiving a request to access each of the detected one or more resource links;   determine if the content contained in the prefetched resource link has previously been cached;   in response to determining that a request will likely be received to access the detected one or more resource links and that the content contained in the prefetched resource link has not previously been cached, prefetch content of the one or more resource links; and   in response to subsequently receiving a request for access to the resource link content, serve the cached prefetched resource link content.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the prefetching further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to, in response to receiving one or more requests from one or more other computers for access to the resource link content, serve the cached prefetched resource link content to each of the requesting one or more other computers. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to:
 in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content has previously been cached, determine if the prefetched resource link content is current;   in response to determining that the prefetched resource link content is not current, cache the prefetched resource link content; and   in response to subsequently receiving a request for access to the resource link content, serve the cached prefetched resource link content.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is made available for local consumption. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the cached prefetched resource link content is stored on a proxy server, wherein content cached to a proxy server may be received by a plurality of client devices, and each client receives the prefetched resource link content via the proxy server rather than an original content source. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions for enabling the machine to, in response to determining that the incoming message contains a file attachment, caching the file attachment.