A distributed cache module that allows for a distributed cache between multiple servers of a network without using a central cache manager. The distributed cache module transmits each message with a logical timestamp. The distributed cache module of a server that receives the message will delay forwarding of the message to, for example, a client computer, if preceding timestamps are not received. This insures a correct order of timestamped messages without requiring a central manager to allocate and control the transmission of the messages within the network. Each distributed cache module will request and possibly retrieve data from the cache of another server in response to a file request for the data. The data of a file may be accessed by a plurality of servers joined in a file context.