Chapter 7 Web cache configuration 207Using the BayStack Instant Internet Management Software Version 7.11• To increase cache performance and efficiency:— Change the cache level from Moderate to Aggressive. For details, refer to“Increasing efficiency” on page 207.— Set how the Instant Internet unit responds to CGI, query, and ‘no-cache’requests. For details, refer to “Setting options for special Web requests”on page 219.— Restrict Web servers from setting cookies on client workstations. Doingso increases efficiency, but also helps you protect your corporate onlineprivacy. For details, refer to “Managing cookies” on page 223.• To reduce employee recreation on company time, restrict access to certainWeb sites. For details, refer to “Managing Web site access” on page 228.• To keep the most frequently requested Web entries fresh, enable the activerefresh option. For details, refer to “Refreshing cache entries” on page 234.Increasing efficiencyBandwidth is a measure of the capacity of a network connection or device to carrydata, in this case, your Internet connection. The amount of data that is transmittedin a fixed amount of time depends on the bandwidth capacity of your connection.The more efficiently you cache Web entries, the less bandwidth is required and thelighter the network load.The Instant Internet unit helps save bandwidth by caching frequently-requestedWeb entries, thereby reducing traffic, decreasing the load on your Internetconnection, and improving response time to your users. For example, usersaccessing the Internet through a 56K modem connection all share the totalbandwidth of 56 Kb/s. As more users log on to the Internet, the bandwidthavailable to each user declines. The cache helps to save bandwidth by reducingInternet traffic, and as a result, each user experiences faster response times.The idea that your LAN bandwidth and your Internet connection bandwidth areusually different is important as related to caching. Cache minimizes bandwidthrequirements of the server-side connection and improves efficiency by increasingthe number of requests that are serviced in the higher bandwidth portion of anetwork.
