Such solutions are designed to store anywhere from 25GB to 1TB of Web data. In the short time they've been on the market, caching hardware and software have been geared primarily toward ISPs and Web-hosting providers. However, the recent release of scaled-down caching products and the anticipated growth of Internet use may make the technology more accessible to private organizations. Pr oponents of cache servers and devices say they can be placed directly behind a firewall, close to routers, or in areas of the network with heavy Web traffic. In each scenario, the goal is to have the cache reside as close to end users as possible, but the network manager must determine which location makes sense.
Some experts dispute the performance benefits that caching is suppose d to deliver.
Network managers must weigh the possible bottleneck of a cache server with the potential wide-area bandwidth savings, Inverse's Leong says. Others suggest that network managers without a pressing need for caching should wait for products better integrated with the other devices on the network. They become difficult to manage, and maintaining relationships with the vendors is cumbersome. Although the relative merit of caching continues to be debated, managers who need quick relief from the strain of Web traffic may profit from choosing their caching products and configurations wisely.