Re: Caching Servers Considered Harmful (was: Re: Finger URL)

Nathan Torkington (Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz)
Tue, 23 Aug 1994 13:51:54 +1200


James 'J' Allard writes:

> technically, you can't enforce something like this into the
> protocol, since it can be easily circumvented and undetected. i
> assert it will be if such a mechanism is offered.

The expiry mechanism can be relatively easily circumvented, but
nonetheless most of the time it isn't. If the cache *by default*
passes back statistics to servers, then most of the time it will be
left to behave in that way. You can't enforce *anything* with the
protocol :) but you if you make it possible, you take a step forward
from the current situation.

Cheers;

Nat