A method for distributing web content efficiently across a network of
information processing units and intermediate nodes. The method on an
information processing unit includes receiving a web content object
created by a user that is to be distributed to a set of destinations.
Also, the method further includes sending a single copy of the web
content object across the network via intermediate nodes to a set of
destinations using a reliable multicast technique. Also, the invention
includes receiving a packet on an intermediate node where the packet
contains address information for a set of destinations. Also, the
invention includes determining at an intermediate node the next hop or
next hops that the packet should be forwarded to and forwarding a copy of
the packet to each of those next hops.