When to start using Apache HTTP Proxy
Based on our practical tests, we recommend that you deploy Apache HTTP Proxy if you have a network of 37 or more computers.
It is crucial for effective caching that the date and time on the HTTP Proxy server is set correctly. Differences of several minutes would cause the caching mechanism not to work effectively and more files would be downloaded than necessary. |
Analysis of network bandwidth used solely by updates in a test network of 1,000 computers where several installations and uninstallations took place showed the following:
•a single computer downloads 23.9 MB/month in updates on average if directly connected to the internet (no Apache HTTP Proxy is used)
•using Apache HTTP Proxy, downloads for the entire network totaled 900 MB/month
A simple comparison of downloaded update data in a month using direct internet connection or Apache HTTP Proxy in a network of computers:
Number of PCs in your corporate network |
25 |
36 |
50 |
100 |
500 |
1,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct connection to internet (MB/month) |
375 |
900 |
1,250 |
2,500 |
12,500 |
25,000 |
Apache HTTP Proxy (MB/month) |
30 |
50 |
60 |
150 |
600 |
900 |