A network architecture or framework that supports hosting and content
distribution on a truly global scale allows a Content Provider to
replicate and serve its most popular content at an unlimited number of
points throughout the world. The inventive framework comprises a set of
servers operating in a distributed manner. The actual content to be
served is preferably supported on a set of hosting servers (sometimes
referred to as ghost servers). This content comprises HTML page objects
that, conventionally, are served from a Content Provider site. A base
HTML document portion of a Web page is served from the Content Provider's
site while one or more embedded objects for the page are served from the
hosting servers, preferably, those hosting servers near the client
machine. By serving the base HTML document from the Content Provider's
site, the Content Provider maintains control over the content.