APC stands for Alternative PHP Cache, and is a free and open opcode cache for PHP. It provides a robust framework for caching and optimizing PHP performance. APC also provides a user cache for storing application data. 

Why would I want to install APC?

Having a caching system in place can help speed up your website. Usually, APC works best in an environment where traffic volume is high and the code base to be executed is small but frequent. APC is especially good for use with caches that do not change often and will not grow to large. PHP must be parsed, compiled and executed everytime a script is called. APC will store the compiled code for execution so there is not a need to parse and compile the code over again. 

What are the differences between APC and other Caching Modules?

There are numerous caching modules available over the internet. APC gives you the ability to not only cache parsed PHP scripts for optimized loading but the ability to cache data as well. Other options such as Memcached only allow for caching of data. Also APC allows direct access to the cache in memory. Memcached does not. Memcached stores data in memory and the application accesses it through TCP. For more information on Memcached please see our article. 

How can I install APC?

APC is not available on shared servers since it affects the entire server. If you are a VPS or Dedicated customer and have root you can install it yourself.  Please feel free to contact our support department if you are not comfortable installing PECL modules and our support staff can assist you.