Reducing server and network load with shared buffering

Today, content replication methods are common ways of reducing the network and servers load. Present content replication solutions have different problems, including the need for pre-planning and management, and they are ineffective in case of sudden traffic spikes. In spite of these problems, content replication methods are more popular today than ever, simply because of an increasing need for load reduction. In this paper, we propose a shared buffering model that, unlike current proxy-based content replication methods, is native to the network and can be used to alleviate the stress of sudden traffic spikes on servers and the network. We outline the characteristics of a new transport protocol that uses the shared buffers to offload the server work to the network or reduce the pressure on the overloaded links.