How NetCache handles objects resulting from aborted requests

What is an aborted request?

An aborted request is a request made by a client and subsequently canceled by the client, for example, if the user clicks Stop or Reload in the Web browser.

How NetCache responds to a canceled request

By default, NetCache stops retrieving an object as soon as the client cancels the request. You might want this behavior if your users are served by a busy cache or if your users access the cache over a slow link, such as a SLIP or PPP link.

However, not completing the retrieval of an object can be undesirable. The reason is that when a client cancels a request for a large object, NetCache might already have retrieved the majority of the object. If NetCache stops retrieving the object when the client cancels the request, NetCache must retrieve the entire object later if another client requests it.

You can use the Complete Fetch option on the HTTP - Header and Caching Behavior page of the Appliance Manager to configure NetCache to continue the fetching and caching of an object even if the client cancels an object request before completion.

Determining whether to use the Complete Fetch option

If the Complete Fetch option is enabled, NetCache continues retrieving an object after the requesting client cancels the request. Impatient users can tie up resources if they repeatedly request and cancel objects that cannot be cached.

If your upstream bandwidth is expensive and you want to minimize its use, leave the Complete Fetch option disabled. If your bandwidth is not expensive, leave this option enabled so that NetCache can finish downloading the object for the next client that requests it.

Note
If NetCache is configured to operate in a dual mode as a Web accelerator and as a Web cache, leave the Complete Fetch option enabled to ensure that NetCache can finish retrieving the object.