Content Caching

What is Content Caching?

A function of a proxy server such as Microsoft Proxy Server. Content caching allows a proxy server to cache the results of a client request. The next time a client requests the same content, it is retrieved from the cache to improve performance. Content remains in the cache for a predetermined period of time, or until the cache becomes full and old content is moved to allow new content to be cached.

Microsoft Proxy Server makes use of distributed caching, which lets content caching take place closer to users and allows caching activity to be load-balanced across several Proxy Servers for scalability and fault tolerance.

For example, within corporate intranets, caching can be moved toward the branch office and workgroup levels of the organization. For Internet service providers (ISPs), caching can be moved toward regional points of presence (POPs). Distributed caching is particularly effective for solving network bandwidth problems associated with Internet push technologies.

Microsoft Proxy Server’s distributed caching can be implemented in two ways:

• Array-based caching:
  In this approach, an array or group of proxy servers works together and is administered as a single, logical entity. A cache array provides load balancing, fault tolerance, scalability, and ease of administration. Cache arrays can provide a higher cache hit rate than an individual proxy server because of the larger size of the virtual cache.

   

• Hierarchical caching:
  In this approach, you arrange proxy servers in a hierarchy by branch office or department. Requests from clients are then forwarded up the hierarchy until the requested object is found in a proxy server’s cache.