1. A computer implemented method comprising: associating expiration data to a resource stored by a cache server component, the expiration data corresponding to a level of the cache server component within a resource cache component hierarchy and the expiration data further corresponding to resource resident time criteria associated with the requested resource; processing a request for the resource from a resource cache server component when a residence time of the resource has been exceeded; and modifying the expiration data of the resource based on at least one resource resident time criteria and further based on the level of the resource cache component in the resource cache component hierarchy, wherein the modified expiration data is indicative of a relative popularity of the resource within the resource cache component hierarchy.