Windows Cache Extension For PHP
Thursday 3rd September, 2009 12:31
Microsoft have released a beta version of Windows Cache Extension for PHP, which can be used to increase the speed of PHP applications on Windows Server when configured to use FastCGI. I thought about installing it on this server to see if it affects the performance (although it's bloody quick anyway), but they've only released x86 versions. But then I remembered that I'm still using the x86 version of PHP 5.3.0 as the x64 version isn't ready for production use (it's only available as a QA release). Then I remembered that the reason I didn't install the QA release is because I don't necessarily want to be cutting/bleeding edge on this server because it's stuck in a rack many miles away from me. I may get around to installing Windows Cache Extension for PHP when it loses its beta (and RC) status and is ready for production. Hopefully it'll coincide with a production ready x64 version of PHP, so IIS can be completely 64 bit. It's funny how Microsoft are barely supporting x64 versions of PHP when Windows Server 2008 R2 will only be released as a 64-bit version and SBS 2008 is also x64 only (due to 64-bit Exchange 2007); but perhaps it's just taken a while for Microsoft's closer relationship with PHP to produce a noticeable difference. PHP 5.3 does appear to have much better support for Windows.
