Mavericks Server Part 26:Caching Server

02/05/14 13:12 Filed in: Technology

Downloading updates is something that all of us do to keep our Macs and iOS devices up to date. Add in a bunch of devices under one roof and you end up using a lot of bandwidth to update the same software on all of those devices because you end up redownloading each update on each device. The Caching service in OS X Server takes care of that issue by keeping (or caching) a copy of the file you download the first time and then sending anyone else who needs that same update to the copy you just made on the server. That way you only download the update once thus saving your bandwidth and saving the time spent waiting for the update to download.

The Caching service cache’s downloads and updates from the Mac and iOS stores. It not only keeps a copy of system updates but any application or iBook you download. To have your client devices point to your server for the updates and downloads is zero configuration. The devices automatically check for a cached download and the same network and if they find that update they use the one on the server instead of downloading a new copy. Of course you need lots of space if you are storing copies of your downloads so you will need a decent sized hard drive and you can limit the size the Caching service can use to store those updates.

In this screencast I walk you through the Caching service. I help you get it up and running and show how it works and how to track the type and size of updates you have on your server.If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or on my Youtube Channel.

Tags: Mac OSX, Server