W3 Total Cache Setup for Rackspace Cloud Sites with Cloud Files is a bit different than traditional hosting. Here is full guide on how to use W3 Total Cache Setup. We previously wrote about W3 Total Cache Setup with CloudFlare and CDN Complete Guide, this guide for W3 Total Cache Setup is only for Rackspace Cloud Sites .
Preparation needed before using W3 Total Cache Setup for Rackspace Cloud Sites with Cloud Files
First, delete any previously used Cache Plugin – either through WordPress Admin Panel or if does not work, manually before proceeding to W3 Total Cache Setup. Then open your web folder content using any SFTP software like WinSCP. Make sure to CHMOD to 777 the following folders before proceeding to W3 Total Cache Setup. These are wp-content, wp-content/uploads, wp-content/uploads/w3c and wp-content/uploads/w3c/min. Parent CMOD status might not be respected, so we need to CHMOD all subs are needed for W3 Total Cache Setup. Do not forget to change back CHMOD to a safe permission like 755 after W3 Total Cache Setup is complete.
W3 Total Cache Setup Guide
Login to your WordPress control panel. On the left hand menu, click on the Plugins Link then click Add New. Search For W3 Total Cache. Install W3 Total Cache. Activate it.
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Settings needed to be modified for W3 Total Cache Setup
Under General tab use disk enhanced for page cache; disk basic for minify; disk basic for database caching.
Go to Minify Settings. Use the minify settings carefully so that your output do not gets breakup. There is no need to do any extra changes for our W3 Total Cache Setup, unless you want to experiment. The remaining part for W3 Total Cache Setup is CDN. Go to Rackspace Control Panel and under Cloud Files, create 4-5 containers and copy the urls to a text Editor. From your Account, you will get the API key. Now, again go to WordPress to complete W3 Total Cache Setup. Under CDN, you must fill the Configuration first then upload each part one by one :
This is it. This is very basic and easy W3 Total Cache Setup Guide. We have not modified many options in this W3 Total Cache Setup guide, of course you can do more tweaks than we have written in this W3 Total Cache Setup guide, but first get used with it.
Just a heads up: I’d recommend against using Total Cache on CloudSites, and recommend SuperCache instead. I found on my simple site that Total Cache destroyed any chance of a quick time to first byte. Even with the caching turned off and using only the CDN piece enabled, my TTFB would range from 2.5-7 seconds. I don’t have these issues with SuperCache. Granted, it doesn’t have the nice CF integration for the CDN but a CDN isn’t as useful when clients are taking more than 2 seconds to even get the first hint of data.
We actually recommend using WP Super Cache (with tweaks) now Plus Rackspace Cloud Files Plus HyperDB after technically we knew Rackspace was actually moving to OpenStack, this is the closest to the full guide for setup : http://thecustomizewindows.com/2012/10/making-wordpress-to-load-faster-on-rackspace-cloud-sites/
With HyperDB it takes 1 second to load (with nicely coded theme). WP Super Cache is now supported by Automattic.
WP Total Cache probably create conflict with the serverside setup and increases the loading time.
The next option is to use PostgreSQL instead of MySQL.