I’ve previously written about using PyISAPie to run Python under IIS – this allows Python scripts to run faster than using CGI. Rather than starting up the Python interpreter each time a request is made to the web server, PyISAPIe starts the interpreter once and only needs to run the script at each request.
TileCache provides a Python-based WMS-C/TMS server – this is allows you create a local disk-based cache of any WMS server (in my case MapServer), and then connect to it through a WMS-C client such as OpenLayers. Using a cache means that rather than have MapServer create an image for every single request for a tile, the first time a tile is requested the image is saved in a folder on the server. On all subsequent requests for the same data TileCache can retrieve this file without needing MapServer. Performance increase is incredible – however watch out for filling up disk space, and remember to empty the cache if you change symbology or update your data.
As mod_python is now officially dead (and has been moved in Apache’s attic), it is yet another reason if you are using Windows servers to run everything through IIS rather than the rather clumsy Apache on Windows. Why pay for Windows, and then install a web server port, thereby losing all the tools, security, and utilities within Windows to manage and administer the web server?
The aim of this post is to describe the set up of TileCache, running through IIS. Continue reading »
Welcome to a veritable novella. I’ll jump straight to the end –