I just installed wp-cache 2.1.1, a plugin for Wordpress that caches dynamically generated pages as static files. All future requests for them are served directly from these instead of going through the whole dynamic mechanism. It minimizes the biggest negative of dynamic applications – server load.
This blog recently experienced short periods of downtimes because of server overload as it is on a shared hosting. Hopefully this should reduce, if not eliminate, them.
Ideally it should only give you a better experience, but do let me know if you still find that the blog is down or if you experience any problem.
June 15th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I was wondering how caching influences stats. If page is cached and fed as a static, do stats update anyway? Forgive me for newb question.
June 15th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
A good question. I have not thought much about it yet, but I think the Javascript based statistics tool would anyway work. The server side tools might not work. But it is worth investigating.
June 15th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I have been using wp-cache for some time and can tell you that all stats work as normal. As far as the server is concerned the same page is being delivered, it doesn’t look at what processing is going on.
June 15th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Cool, thanks for the info Ben. I think everyone should use wp-cache, it helps a lot in handling spikes.
June 16th, 2007 at 3:32 am
I don’t have the opportunity to try the cache plugin for WP, simply because I don’t use WP
BUT, I have been trying to fiddle around with the OB ( output buffering ) functions that PHP provides. Clearly, the OB functions are not for caching page by page in general, it is more of the “buffer the content before display”. The usage of caching/buffering is a interesting subject, but it is a bit redundant if your server don’t have the same amount of load as yours.
June 16th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Yes, stats are recorded the same. And good for you. WP-Cache is a lifesaver!
June 16th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Alexander, caching can help in bringing the CPU cycles down, which is at BlueHost shared hosting for the site to be up.
Lorelle, thanks for your comment. wp-cache is really a lifesaver, it has reduced the number of embarassing moments
June 16th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
[...] spite of using caching to improve performance of this blog, it was down today, but for a different reason. I kept getting [...]
July 13th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
[...] dairiausi, visi labai giria WP-Cache. Taigi, matyt š? savaitgal? išbandysiu ir aš. Bus ?domu paži?r?ti, ar padid?ja svetain?s [...]
November 8th, 2007 at 11:32 am
[...] blog is now using WP Super Cache, an improved version from Donncha. This blog using the older version, but did face some problems, especially because addition of comments did not refresh the cache. [...]