web cache communication protocol (Cisco) (WCCP)

The WebCache Communication Protocol (WCCP) is a routing protocol developed by Cisco and standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force( IETF).

The WCCP protocol specifies the interaction between one or more routers and one or more web caches, allowing transparent rerouting to be established for specific content across a group of routers. This allows the data packets with the selected content to reach the web caches faster, thereby reducing response times.

Depending on the content, the routing reduces download times or it can redirect the data packets for real-time displays. The WCCP protocol supports load balancing, scaling and fault tolerance, and provides mechanisms for failover. It can localize web traffic on the network, reducing transmission costs and download times.