{"id":44070,"date":"2018-03-27T09:35:31","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T14:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=44070"},"modified":"2018-03-28T11:26:59","modified_gmt":"2018-03-28T16:26:59","slug":"macos-101-reduce-data-usage-increase-speed-with-content-caching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/44070-macos-101-reduce-data-usage-increase-speed-with-content-caching\/","title":{"rendered":"macOS 101: Reduce Data Usage, Increase Speed with Content Caching"},"content":{"rendered":"

Content Caching is one of the new services available in macOS High Sierra<\/a>. Designed to reduce Internet data usage and increase the speed of updating Macs<\/a>, iOS devices<\/a>, and Apple TVs, Content Caching can also speed up iCloud storage by keeping a local copy of the iCloud data on your local area network.<\/p>\n

Content Caching: History<\/strong>
\nContent Caching was originally one of the services included with Mac OS Server<\/a>. By using the caching service, a system administrator could designate local storage as a repository for all of the software updates distributed by Apple for its various product families.<\/p>\n

This allowed all devices connected to the local network to access the stored information without having to re-download the data from the Internet every time a device needed an update.<\/p>\n

Caching was an effective way for administrators to reduce the Internet bandwidth used, while actually increasing overall system update performance for the end user.<\/p>\n

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(Content, such as macOS updates, is cached, allowing others on your network to enjoy faster updates.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Apple ceased development of the Mac OS Server product<\/a>, but the Content Caching capabilities have made the migration from the server product to the Mac, as long as it\u2019s running macOS High Sierra or later.<\/p>\n

Content Caching: How It Works<\/strong>
\nOnce Content Caching is enabled on a Mac, it keeps copies of all of the software updates, App Store downloads and updates, and iCloud data, including backups to iCloud that are initiated by any client connected to your local network.<\/p>\n

The next time a client on your network needs to download the same data, such as a macOS update, the data is retrieved from the content cache instead of being downloaded from the Internet. All subsequent client devices that need the data get it from the local network at what will normally be a much faster connection than is possible from the Internet.<\/p>\n

Data Types That Are Cached<\/strong>
\nNot everything that is downloaded from the Internet is cached. Content Caching supports the following data types:<\/p>\n