NetCache

Original author(s)	NetApp
Stable release	6.0.7
Development status	Discontinued
Platform	Cross platform; Data ONTAP
Type	web cache

NetCache is a former web cache software product which was owned and developed by NetApp between 1997 and 2006, and a hardware product family incorporating the NetCache software.

History

The NetCache software started as a commercial fork of the Harvest Object Cache^[1][2] developed by Internet Middleware Corporation (IMC), which consisted of former Harvest project developers including Peter B. Danzig, a professor at University of Southern California.^[3] In late 1996 the software was named Internet Middleware Object Cache,^[4] and it was referred to as Cached 2 and later Cached 3.^[5][6]

In 1997 IMC was acquired by NetApp, and the software was renamed NetCache, with Danzig becoming chief architect and CTO of NetCache division.^[3]

In 2006 NetApp sold the NetCache business (but not technology) to Blue Coat Systems,^[7][8] who had a similar line of ProxySG appliances which became the desired upgrade path for existing NetApp customers.^[9]

Hardware appliance

The hardware NetCache appliance included the NetApp Data ONTAP microkernel, with its Write Anywhere File Layout file system, achieving four times the throughput as software equivalents available at time, according to NetApp comparisons.^[10]

Models

As of November 2005, three hardware models were being offered:^[11]

• C1300 - Lowest cost device. Small form factor chassis. Targeted at branch and small offices.
• C2300 - Mid range device. Targeted at larger office environments.
• C3300 - High end device. Targeted for use in company headquarters, datacentres and ISPs. Storage capacity of up to 2.4TB.

Former models include:^[12]

• C1200 - Replaced by the C1300 in 2005.
• C6200 - High Performance device. Phased out in 2005.

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ "NetCache Technical Paper". http://www.linofee.org/~jel/da/papers/netcache1.ps.gz. Retrieved 2009-05-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Chris Nermey (21 July 1997). "New Web Caching boxes promise better bandwidth control". Network World. 
4. ^ [2]
5. ^ [3]
6. ^ [4]
7. ^ Chris Williams (23 June 2006). "NetApp flogs NetCache to Blue Coat". The Register. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/23/netapp_sells_netcache/. 
8. ^ Rebecca Munro (19 October 2006). "Blue Coat looks for partners to help NetCache transition". ARNnet. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/167954/blue_coat_looks_partners_help_netcache_transition/. 
9. ^ Bryan Betts (26 June 2006). "NetApp sells NetCache to Blue Coat". Techworld. http://news.techworld.com/networking/6297/netapp-sells-netcache-to-blue-coat/?siteSection=. 
10. ^ Peter Danzig (February 1997). "NetCache Architecture and Deployment". http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.27.8507&rep=rep1&type=pdf. ; also Computer Networks and ISDN Systems 30 (22-23): 2081–2091. 25 November 1998. doi:10.1016/S0169-7552(98)00250-5. ; HTML
11. ^ NetApp (November 2005). "NetCache hardware Product Family". http://www.echostor.com/pdfs/netcache_family.pdf. 
12. ^ NetApp (2005). "NetCache hardware Product Family". http://www.ipro.lv/docs/Netcache_family.pdf. 

External links

• NetCache, pcmag
• NetCache, NetApp
• NetCache, Knowledge Base, Blue Coat Systems
• NetCache FAQ, Knowledge Base, Blue Coat Systems
• NetCache End-of-life matrix, Blue Coat Systems
• Product Comparison: NetCache and ProxySG, Blue Coat Systems
• Cache beats back bandwidth blues, Robin Schreier Hohman, Network World, 11/16/98
• Operating system detection now reports Network Appliance Netcache, Mike Prettejohn, 22 October 2003, Netcraft
• 1999 Press release about product market share

Product reviews

• C720