Smart Cache Manual
Chapter 2 - Basics informations

2.1 What is Smart Cache

Smart Cache is a full-featured HTTP proxy caching server and web forwarder written entirely in 100% pure Java (Java 1.1 or later is required). Smart Cache was inspired by two most popular caches - modern Squid and older CERN HTTP (IBM port to OS/2 called ICS). Smart Cache gets only ideas from this program, no source code is used. Smart Cache has been primarily written as a my Personal Proxy Cache. This Personal Proxy Cache replaces your internal browser cache and offers some extra features for allowing offline browsing.

After this, Smart Cache was optimised, has not a very configurable garbage collection, support for web forwarding/accelerator/transparent proxy and grows into full-featured HTTP proxy server.

2.2 Smart Cache summary

I have got a very nice following summary of Smart Cache's main features by email.

First I like to say you've done a great job with SCache. It does not only anonymize me, like many other programs, it's main feature, the cache, is a great thing not only for speeding up surfing but also for offline browsing. I use it under OS/2 and under Windows without any problems.

2.3 Features List

Smart Cache can:

• Block unwanted URLs. What about blocking some adverts? This makes browsing much faster. Try to block adverts at least on your favourite www servers and see the difference.

• Replace blocked adverts with your own images. Quite interesting.

• 2 Cookie filters for enhancing browsing privacy.

• Referer URL filter for enhancing browsing privacy.

• Redirect your browser to avoid multiple caching of the same WWW server. For example, if a WWW server has two aliases (www.netmag.cz and netmag.cz), you can tell Smart Cache these are the same server!

• Redirect can make "aliases" for your favourite pages. Try: Redirect http://myhome/* http://www.geocities.com/blah/blah/*

• Faster and better than internal browser cache; see Other off line browsing solutions, Section 1.4. I recommend using Netscape and turning off disk cache while leaving a small (about 2MB) memory cache. This makes my Netscape significantly faster.

• Secure network access. It can be shared between browsers and computers.

• Because we use CERN-style methods for saving objects into cache, you may easily look into cache and see what's in it. You will see server names and subdirectories.

• Stored objects don't have any "noise" inside, like in other caches. You may locate for example a .zip file stored in cache and immediately unpack it to the desired location without needing removing http headers like in other caches (Squid, Apache).

• All types of documents including "UNCACHEABLE" objects can be cached - like counters, etc. Look for directive pragma_no_cache

• Optionally - If you press Stop in your browser, Smart Cache can still loads the object into the cache. So if you return to page later, you can see it immediately loaded.

• Great for downloading many small files via the browser without needing to apply boring Save as.. procedure to all. Simply click on one - don't wait for it be downloaded - and click on the next one. After all objects have been loaded, you can locate them in the cache and copy/move them to your desired directory or you may click on them in your browser.

• Smart Cache works even if you are off line and simulates Internet connection quite good.

• You will not see any difference between on-line and off line browsing.

• Smart Cache is fully transparent, you will not have any problems with updating off line cached pages.

• Smart Cache do not run garbage collection when it wants. Until you run garbage collection by hand, you are sure that all previously seen web pages are also on your hard drive.

• Very configurable garbage collection. You can decide what pages are important for you and you Smart Cache keeps it in cache longer.

• Damaged cache can be repaired without losing all cached data.

• HTML User interface for searching and configuring.

• Download manager integration.

• Data compression support for saving diskspace.

• Web grabber integration, mark pages when offline and download them later.

• HTTP/1.1 persistent connection support for better browsing performance.

Smart Cache Manual