An apparatus, method and computer program product for network client-server multiplexing.
The apparatus is implemented within an interface unit connecting a plurality of
servers to the Internet, which is connected to a plurality of clients. According
to a "connection pooling" aspect of the invention, the interface unit opens and
maintains connections with the servers and handles the opening and closing of connections
with clients accessing the servers, thereby freeing the servers of the processing
load incurred by opening and closing connections. According to a "connection distribution"
aspect of the invention, the interface unit examines the path names within requests
received from clients and selects the server hosting the requested information
according to the path names.