Summary of nontransparent client access methods

Pointing Web browsers to an automatic proxy configuration file

Web cache (for HTTP, FTP over HTTP, Gopher, and Tunnel protocols)

Failover: Includes failover capabilities.

Request distribution: Includes request distribution capabilities. The browser checks the automatic proxy configuration file at startup, however, so distribution of requests is not dynamic. If you need dynamic distribution of requests, you can use a Server Load Balancer. See Using a Server Load Balancer for request distribution.

Pointing Web browsers to a single NetCache appliance

Any forward proxy mode

Failover: Does not provide failover. If you have multiple NetCache appliances and you want failover, see Section B, Failover by using NetCache appliance takeover pairs.

Request distribution: If you have multiple NetCache appliances over which you want requests distributed, you must use DNS round robin or a Server Load Balancer. See Using DNS round robin for request distribution and Using a Server Load Balancer for request distribution.

For more recent media players, pointing the media players to the NetCache appliance

For Windows WMP media players prior to WMP 7, using NetCache Windows Media metafile rewriting

Streaming media cache (for MMS and RTSP)

Failover: Does not provide failover. If you have multiple NetCache appliances and you want failover, see Section B, Failover by using NetCache appliance takeover pairs.

Request distribution: If you have multiple NetCache appliances over which you want requests distributed, you must use DNS round robin or a Server Load Balancer. See Using DNS round robin for request distribution and Using a Server Load Balancer for request distribution.