How does caching affect logging?

[Ken Fine]

I'm looking for a clear answer regarding how caching (ASP.NET and classic
ASP) might affect IIS6 server logs.

Related: I'm wondering if ASP.NET output caching might affect tracking
schemes of the sort used by Google Analytics, that use a javascript embed to
communicate with the mother ship.

Is there any effect on IIS logs at all? Do you risk underreporting? I was
reading the docs for the standalone Urchin analytics product last night, and
there was the suggestion that their javascript-utilizing counting mechanism
bypassed problems with caching. I'm wondering what exactly those problems
are, and how I can accurately analyze my older logs.

Thanks,
--KF

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi KF,

As for IIS log, I think it will record all the requests that come through
the IIS server. ASP.NET or ASP runtime is hosted in IIS and receive request
from IIS via ISAPI extension, therefore, no matter how you configure the
ASP.NET or ASP code logic(such as cache or anything else...), the request
always come to IIS server first and IIS router it to the ASP.NET/asp
extension. In other words, no ASP.NET or ASP requests will by pass IIS
layer.

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead


This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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[bruce barker]

here are four levels of caching

1) client caching. on by default, the client will cache the page and
reuse it. no iis log

2) proxy caching. on by default, the proxy server will cache the page
and reuse it. no iis log.

3) iis caching (say gzip is on). iis will cache the page and reuse, but
will log.

4) asp.net caching. no on by default, but pages are cached in memory if
enabled, but still the request is logged.

to get around any caching, a small javascript routine is emitted on the
page that does a cacheless hit (via a unique url). images used to be
used, but many browsers suppress image fetches.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)

 

[Ken Fine]

Outstanding answers, thank you Steven and Bruce. This is exactly what I
needed.

-KF