_          _                   _
  __| |o ___ __| |__ ___  __ _  ___| |__   ___     distcache
 / _` |_/ __|__   __/ __|/ _` |/ __| '_ \ / , \    Distributed session caching
| (_| | \__ \  | | | (__| (_| | (__| | | |  __/    www.distcache.org
 \__,_|_|___/  |_|  \___|\__,_|\___|_| |_|\___|    distcache.sourceforge.net

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      ``Geez, you even copied the 'cute-quotes'
                                        layout from the mod_ssl README?!''
                                                            -- Geoff Thorpe


Introduction
------------

This package provides a variety of functionality for enabling a network-based
session caching system, primarily for (though not restricted to) SSL/TLS session
caching. Included in 'distcache' are the libraries that implement the necessary
network functionality, the session caching protocol, and APIs for applications
wishing to use a distributed session cache, or indeed even implement a storage
mechanism for a session cache server.

As of version 1.4.1, the distcache package now includes the "sslswamp" utility
for testing and benchmarking SSL/TLS servers. This utility used to be known
simply as "swamp" and was maintained separately, but the version included with
distcache is now the actively developed and maintained one.

The distributed session caching technology that formed the seed code of the
'distcache' project was developed by Cryptographic Appliances Inc, who in July
2002 gave permission for release of the code and creation of the public
'distcache' project. Thanks go to Chris Zimman and CryptoApps. :-)


Features
--------

 o Open-Source software, covered by the terms of the LGPL ("Lesser GNU Public
   License").
 o Independantly-usable non-blocking Network Abstraction Library (libnal).
 o Transparently supports IPv4 and unix domain sockets in a single namespace
   (IPv6 yet to come).
 o Includes useful implementations of a session cache server and proxy.
 o Includes self-testing and traffic-analysis tools (dc_test, dc_snoop).
 o Already integrated for use with Apache/mod_ssl and Stunnel.
 o Includes the "sslswamp" SSL/TLS benchmarking/testing tool.
 o Distcache libraries and utilities builds/run without any dependancies on
   Apache, mod_ssl, OpenSSL, etc. (does not apply to sslswamp)
 o probably much, much more ...


Further information
-------------------

There are other text files you might want to browse depending on what it is
you're looking for;

 o ANNOUNCE:
     Details about the the current distcache release.
 o CHANGES:
     A change-log summarising noteworthy changes between distcache releases.
 o FAQ:
     Common questions and answers about using the 'distcache' libraries and
     tools.
 o INSTALL:
     Explains how to compile and install elements of the 'distcache' package.
 o LICENSE:
     The text of the LGPL ("Lesser GNU Public License").
 o documentation:
     The files contained in the doc/ sub-directory provide documentation for
     the distcache architecture itself, the utilities, and the APIs provided
     for developers. The original "pod" documents are used to generate the man
     pages and html files, the latter should be installed automatically during
     "make install". To read the man pages directly from the source tree,
     provide the path to the man page to the 'man' utility, eg;
        # man ./doc/distcache.8

For information about ongoing development, up-to-date source code, etc, please
go the home page(s);

    http://www.distcache.org/
    http://distcache.sourceforge.net/

The SourceForge.net-hosted development site has mail lists, a "Tracker" system
for bug-reports, feature requests, etc, an online CVS browser system to view the
history of source-code changes, and a variety of other information about the
project.


Disclaimer
----------

Read the LICENSE file, it's all in there. Also, the web is littered with various
discussion archives, READMEs, HOWTOs, and other resources about open source
licensing, especially for such popular licenses as the LGPL. If in doubt, have
your lawyer look at it, and they would do well to start by visiting www.gnu.org.
But to briefly summarise the disclaimer implicit in the LGPL ... basically no
guarantees are given in any sense. Much like any expensive proprietary software
you might be running, probably. Except of course 'distcache' isn't all that
expensive or proprietary. :-)