A
server is capable of receiving large numbers of concurrent download requests, establishing TCP sessions with each
client. A copy of the socket of each session, together with descriptor information of the file requested are transferred to a download manager, and the original connection immediately closed. The connection to the
client remains open via the copy of the socket, which is then converted to a non-blocking socket by the download manager converts to copy of the socket to a non-blocking socket, and downloads the requested information to the
client using the non-blocking socket and its own connection to the
server. The arrangement is capable of dealing with loads that would ordinarily overwhelm the
server's capability of establishing and maintaining individual TCP sessions with its clients. Heavy loads, including bursty peak loads, are handled gracefully, without causing the server to stall, or to refuse connections.