October 23, 2000

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Novell Approach To Faster Delivery

Customers set to receive performance boost due to improved caching technology

By Bob Wallace

More on caching:

TechWeb: Startups Aim For Web-Caching Obsolescence (10/13/00) TechWeb: CacheFlow To Ship Server Accelerators (9/15/00) InternetWeek: Caching Moves In Two Directions At Once (8/21/00)

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hen it comes to speeding Web-site content delivery, one plus one sometimes equals three. Caching vendors integrate their systems with content-delivery network operators to create a performance boost larger than either single approach.

Some companies use caching appliances to offload requested content from adjacent Web servers to improve site performance. Others store content in caching networks to cut delivery time with material from the closest server.

Now, both methods will combine to deliver the best performance. Novell recently disclosed a deal to integrate its Internet Caching System with Akamai Technologies Inc.'s content-delivery network. Novell recently teamed with Akamai rival Mirror Image Inc.--and Akamai teamed with Novell rival CacheFlow Inc.

WebMiles Corp., a provider of free flight rewards, found that caching kept its servers going even during major ad promotions on television, CIO Brian Holman says. "Adding Akamai will further improve our visitors experience by reducing page download times," he says. The move stores content closer to users instead of making it take multiple network hops from the Web site.

The Sandy, Utah, company operates WebMiles.com and plans to equip its Novell Internet Caching System with the software needed to connect it to the Akamai network and use the content-delivery company's services.

"The combination of local and distributed caching further improves the customer experience," agrees Martin Marshall, a Zona Research Inc. analyst. "It's what caching technology is all about."

Novell enables the cache-to-content delivery connection with Akamai's software developers kit and tailors Akamaizer software for its Internet Caching System caching product. The software automates the tagging of pieces of Web-site content for delivery to, and storage in, the network.

Not all site operators convert the URLs for site content to Akamai Resource Locators for use in the Akamai network--a problem if there's unexpected demand for untagged content. The Internet Caching System and other caching systems with the code can convert content tags on-the-fly to maintain or improve site performance rather than risking server slowdowns.

Novell's Internet Caching System with the Akamai software is priced at $20,000 to $40,000, while CacheFlow's system is $50,000 to $60,000. Novell will sell its offering with Akamaizer software along with Akamai's content-delivery services.

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