Can someone exlplain WCCP to me?

[omgjames1]

I have a Blue Coat appliance in place in my network. If the b/c goes down the internet will not be available. Does WCCP correct this issue and if so how?

[Jon Marshall]

Hi

WCCP works on router and switches to redirect requests, often http, to a cache engine.

So in answer to your question as far as i know WCCP would not fix your problem as if the bluecoat went down WCCP would have nothing to redirect the requests to.

HTH

Jon

[Edison Ortiz]

WCCP is simply a re-director. It's up the the Blue Coat appliance to have a 'fail open' feature.

For WCCP, please read:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/cat6000/122sx/swcg/wccp.htm

[omgjames1]

So if i use the fail open feature on the blue coat, i would then use WCCP to redirect?

[Jon Marshall · Accepted solution]

Hi

If all requests to the Internet are already going via your bluecoat then you do not need to use WCCP at all.

By fail open Edison means that if the bluecoast stops working it still passes traffic.

You have no use for WCCP in this instance.

HTH

Jon

[omgjames1]

I just got off the phone with Blue coat and was told there is a pass through card that i can buy that will make the b/c act like a loop back device instead of a passive monitor.

[Edison Ortiz]

WCCP is useful if you want to redirect traffic some of the traffic to a web-cache engine and other traffic via the normal route.

If all traffic is going via the Blue Coat appliance, WCCP feature is a bit redundant.