After reviewing the NetApp C230 for about a month, these are our findings:

• Scalability
  Based on our test results, the C230 has capacity to act as a caching webproxy for organizations with up to 1,000 workplaces. When used more intensively, performance tends to drop considerably. The NetApp C230 behaves very well as a 'child' proxy in a caching mesh like the SurfNet mesh, which makes it ideal for use in small or medium sized institutions associated with SurfNet.

   

• Security
  At the moment, the NetApp does not support any kind of encryption for performing administrative tasks. To provide security, the NetApp must be placed on a 'secure' network, along with the machines that are used to administrate it. According to Network Appliances, a future version of the OS will include some encryption, most likely SSL. At this point, it is not clear when this will happen.

   

• Ease of use
  Configuring a C230 out-of-the-box is quite easy, and doesn't take much time. Thanks to its own internal watchdog, a C230 can be pretty much used as a 'fire-and-forget' web caching solution. The C230 will restart itself in case of software and/or hardware errors, and will report these by e-mail. Most configuration has to be done through a web-interface, which is user friendly, but lacks an overview of the entire configuration. Therefore, configuration errors (and possible security hazards!) may go unnoticed for a long time.

   

• Compared with other caching products
  The C230 is fast, provided you have a limited amount of users, with 'normal' browsing behaviour. Compared with other webcaching solutions, it's easy to install and maintain a C230. If you have more than about 1000 workplaces, the C230 is not for you. There are other, better qualified, solutions for high amounts of users.

   

• Price vs. Performance
  The NetApp C230 is a unique product. Due to it's price, it's not aimed for low-end or cheap solutions. The NetApp C230 is for organizations that want a caching webproxy that works out of the box, and requires little or no administration. Because of the guaranteed high availability, and this ease of use, the initial pricetag is high, but total cost of ownership will be lower (compared to other web caching solutions).