Re: [squid-users] Server accelerator options: Squid, apache's built-in web caching or hardware "solutions"

Albretch Mueller wrote:
> ~
> I have read about Squid as surrogate server, but apache's httpd
> itself has built-in web caching features
> ~
> Would you share with me your experience, if you have tried both
> scenarios specially when employing virtual hosts and aliases?
> ~
> To me (and everyone else I guess ;-)) bandwidth is the critical
> factor on a server. How important would be serving a page right off
> the cache when it still has to go its merry way on a slow connection?

Squid has very efficient optimizations to handle traffic from fast
servers and slow clients.

1) Serving pages from cache can vastly reduce CPU and resource usage at
the web server. For example, the problem of generating
semi-static-output from dynamic pages.

2) Using Squid you can provide a distributed CDN for better customer
service.
   - Providing content closer to the public reduces overall bandwidth costs.
   - Any gateway Squid can be setup to provide public access to a number
of internally 'private' web servers through a singe IP.
   - A farm of web servers can be accessed and load-balanced through
Squid to provide the same CDN properties at your end and a single point
of contact for customers.

> Relating to this issue, something that isn't still clear to me; does
> squid serve the static gzipped content returned by the server, which
> much browsers can handle?

Yes, Squid passes on what it gets from the origin web server in the most
efficient way it can. It does not yet generate compressed versions
itself, but when the server provides compressed squid will accept it and
relay it on. The latest 2.6+ and 3.0 squid will in most situations
handle gzipped content without trouble.

> ~
> Had anyone actually gauge the performance gain you have while using
> squid instead of just using apache?

I have not gauged the performance difference in detail from before and
after. But adding squid between both local users and pubic users and my
web servers has resulted in a noticeable increase of stability in the
TreeNet hosting server. While dropping the outbound web usage by quite a
few GB per month.

Squid itself currently reports a combined 38% of requests here are no
longer handled by the internal hosting server or passed outward to the
upstream web.

Our web traffic is largely youtube/bebo/facebook/googlevid media
streaming (inbound), anti-viral updates etc (in+out) photo galleries
(out), and dynamically generated HTML pages (out).

Amos Jeffries

-- 
Treehouse Networks Ltd.
www.treenet.co.nz
-- 
Please use Squid 2.6STABLE17+ or 3.0STABLE1+
There are serious security advisories out on all earlier releases.