How effective is caching of Web sites with real-time data such as stock quotes?
A. Most of the objects that make up a given Web page are static and therefore can be cached. For example, buttons and standard graphics are typically static objects. Other objects on a page can be dynamic and should never be cached (for example, stock prices). Cache engines have the intelligence to determine what objects can be cached and how long they can be cached. This intelligence is derived by obeying the HTTP object header information and by allowing network administrators to control freshness policies. In the case where such a page is cached, only a few dynamic objects need to be retrieved from the origin server, while relatively static objects can be delivered locally from a cache engine. This method provides an effective way to increase network performance while maintaining real-time data integrity.
