Questions on the way SQUID works with Microsoft download files

I am working on a proposal to my organization for us to go to a
hierarchical caching system, probably SQUID. I am convinced that this
is the way to go, but I must convince the head honchos. I am trying to
come up with all of the advantages that I can think of.

I have some questions on how SQUID will work with the way that Microsoft
distributes software upgrades and files. One of the ways that I have
seen them do it is to have the user register and then download a
setup.exe file. When the setup.exe file is run, more files are
downloaded by that program. Another way that they do it is with
Windows98, Windows will automatically go out and get the update files.
My questions are:

1. When a user has to register before they can download a file, will
SQUID keep the registered file for when the next user registers and then
downloads that file?
2. When the downloaded setup.exe program runs and then download more
files, does Microsoft use ftp or is there anyway for SQUID to provide a
cache for this?
3. Does the way Windows98 upgrades its self work with a cache like
SQUID?

Lastly, I remember reading that there is a cutoff to the size of a ftp
file that will be cached, I do not remember what I this size is
(probably programmable anyway), but the many of the Microsoft files, I
believe, will be bigger than this limit.

4. Is there a way to say cache all ftp files from some sources
regardless of the size?

thank you
don c
Received on Thu Dec 10 1998 - 11:53:16 MST