RE: [cobalt-developers] Web Cache Server

[BSmith@xxxxxxxxxxx]

-----Original Message-----
From: Josh Kuperman [mailto:josh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 8:19 AM
To: cobalt-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [cobalt-developers] Web Cache Server


What is a Web Cache Server? More specifically what can I do with a web
cache server that I can't do with Squid  or another caching proxy server?

On Thu, Jun 19, 2003 at 03:39:51AM -0700, Raq Admin wrote:
> What are the thoughts around the use of a Web Cache Server as part of a
RaQ 
> web hosting network.
> 
> A local company going out of business is offering a Baystack 910 Web Cache

> for around $600.  Is there value in adding this to our network?


Squid is a WebCacher too.  That is what the CacheRaQ uses :)

This is how they work

user1 wants yahoo.com

user1 -> switch -> l3 device -> webcache -> l3 device -> internet -> yahoo 
	-> back to user1

user2 wants yahoo.com about 1 minute after user1

user2 -> switch -> l3 device -> webcache -> back to user2

So, a Webcache does what it says.  It like your cache directory in any
web browser.  If the page is NOT timed out, it will pull from the local
cache 
and server it up.

So, you can see where if you have a company with a lot of web traffic would 
benefit from having one of these devices.  It cuts down on internet traffic
and thus saving you bandwidth.

Now, if your just running a WebServer, and do not have any users on your
LAN,
a webcache would be pretty much useless.  As, you being the content server
would
rather have the requests hit your Cobalt. 

If the company who has the RaQ web hosting network, also is a medium
business
that it would be beneficial to have one of these devices.  Other then that,
why
bother?

Thanks,

Brian