Apica Accelerator in-depth
Front-End Cache Solution
All web pages typically consist of dynamic and static content. Apica has found that static content most often consumes more than 50 % of the available bandwidth and web server CPU capacity when a web page is loaded by a user. Static content is very suitable for caching on a separate server – a so called HTTP-accelerator. In this solution, static content is defined as data which is not being changed or made unique for each and every visitor. Pictures and so called style sheets, and file formats like css, gif and jpeg are typical examples of static content.
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System overview
(click to view diagram)
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The advantage of a front-end cache solution is that webb servers behind the web service can be off-loaded ”unnecessary” procedures (to serve static content) and thereby increase performance. Apica has often seen performance increase 5-10 fold compared to a standard installation.
Varnish
Varnish is a leading open source software for http-cache solutions. Performance is in absolute top class. Varnish is used by many leading media companies’ on-line businesses and has a rapidly growing community. Apica possesses leading expert competence in Varnish configuration and hardware adaption.
A front end cache based on Varnish technology delivers substantially better throughput for static content compared to a comparable standard web server. A simple way of explaining it would be that code design and structure is optimized for delivering pictures and not for generating complex web pages or other functionalities which comes with a modern web server. On pure code level, Varnish is optimized to deliver maximum data per set of instructions. That type of optimization is impossible on a traditional web server.
Maximum Performance
Apica Acceleration’s HTTP accelerator delivers between 500 and 800 Mb/s data, pending the configuration. This should be compared to a high end server like IIS 6, which will deliver approx. 250 - 300 Mb/s.
If you would like to try out how much faster your web site or web application will be with our Varnish based solution, Apica is able to deliver a free-of-charge test along with documented performance enhancement for your site specifically.
How do I make sure my web platform is safe?
The solution is front end cache optimization!
Apicas consultants will help you to identify the right measures to make your existing platform perform better and/or safer:
Apicas solution involves a o the following areas:
- Cache solutions (Apica Acceleration, Varnish) including ,Load balancing