At 12:21 PM 06/07/99 +0200, Koen Holtman wrote:
>I disagree. Expires information being sent by servers is only
>cache-friendly if the server operator actually spent some time
>thinking about what the expires value should be.
I'm suggesting that the mod_expires module is compiled in as my
understanding is that it will allow Apache to at least send an Expires
header. The content of that header is another matter.
>Preconfiguring some Expires default into Apache is worse than useless.
>It will probably lead to proxy cache operators having to distinguish
>between a) Expires headers that were configured explicitely by server
>operators, which can thus be trusted, and b) Expires headers sent by
>default with the server operators unaware of it, which can thus not be
>trusted.
So the issue is whether you would prefer the proxy to guess based on
default information or no information at all. I would prefer default, so
long as the defaults were set correctly. E.g. in most* cases, URIs ending
'.gif' are cacheable for some period of time.
[*If they are not, e.g. for stock-ticker applications, they usually already
have an Expires header OR the URI itself changes. (The latter appears most
common)]
Since, as a cache operator, most of my hits come from a relatively small
number of objects, and the highest byte hit rate comes from gif/jpg
objects, a default would at least let me cache the object for a short
period of time. If the object is popular, I don't mind needing to verify it
- or re-retrieve it - even fairly regularly.
>If the server operator does not configure anything explicitely, then
>proxy cache operators are in a better position to make up an
>appropriate default than the Apache group.
Well, this does not conflict with my desire to have the *option* compiled
in. (i.e. it currently doesn't even appear in the config file unless it is
compiled in).
John
---------------------------------------------------------------
Network Appliance Main Office: +31 23 567 9600
Kruisweg 799 Fax: +31 23 567 9699
NL-2132 NG Hoofddorp Voicemail/Mobile: +31 654 308 275
---------------------------------------------------------------
