BeagleCache : A Low-Cost Caching Proxy for the Developing World

The recent release of the BeagleBone Black (BBB) — a $45 Linux computer the size of a credit card and packed with 2GB of eMMC flash onboard — delivers a unique opportunity for the development of storage-intensive applications designed to run on low-cost devices. The BBB's cost and size make it the ideal platform for deployment in developing countries. Here, we consider how the BBB performs as a Web caching proxy, with intended application in countries with limited and expensive Internet bandwidth. Furthermore, eMMC is one of the least-researched forms of flash memory, and thus our investigation serves doubly to explore eMMC’s performance as a Web cache. Our results give us confidence that BeagleCache may provide significant Web acceleration in developing countries.