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so i have set up apache serving my php pages.

i read about squid but don't understand why/how i should use it to speed up my web server.

from what i've learned squid is located in same network (or another) and caches content requested by the web browsers, and then when another web browser wants a same page, squid returns that page cached locally, so it never sends a request to the apache server (faster response time for the client, and reduced load for the server). so it seems that squid is for the client side (web browser), and has nothing to do with the server side (apache).

but then some people tell others how they have speeded up apache using squid. so im confused. could squid be used on the server side too? and how will it work?

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  • Why the needless down vote? +1 to counter.
    – Bryan
    Apr 5, 2010 at 11:43

1 Answer 1

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Yes it can and it is called a reverse proxy when it is on the server side (as opposed to forward proxy on the client side). You can check some information from the squid wiki here and wikipedia here.

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  • isnt apache able to cache contents itself, or does it have to rely on proxy servers like squid? cause i know there is a mod_cache module for apache.
    – ajsie
    Apr 5, 2010 at 6:02
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    Yes, it has mod_cache. However, I tend to use applications for what they were designed for. So, squid is definitely a far more powerful cache than apache. However, if you do not need its configurability then it is overkill.
    – sybreon
    Apr 5, 2010 at 7:44

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