mod_buffer
Support for request buffering
Extension
mod_buffer.c
buffer_module
Available in Apache 2.3 and later

This module provides the ability to buffer the input and output filter stacks.

Under certain circumstances, content generators might create content in small chunks. In order to promote memory reuse, in memory chunks are always 8k in size, regardless of the size of the chunk itself. When many small chunks are generated by a request, this can create a large memory footprint while the request is being processed, and an unnecessarily large amount of data on the wire. The addition of a buffer collapses the response into the fewest chunks possible.

When httpd is used in front of an expensive content generator, buffering the response may allow the backend to complete processing and release resources sooner, depending on how the backend is designed.

The buffer filter may be added to either the input or the output filter stacks, as appropriate, using the SetInputFilter, SetOutputFilter, AddOutputFilter or AddOutputFilterByType directives.

# Using buffer with mod_include

AddOutputFilterByType INCLUDES;BUFFER text/html

The buffer filters read the request/response into RAM and then repack the request/response into the fewest memory buckets possible, at the cost of CPU time. When the request/response is already efficiently packed, buffering the request/response could cause the request/response to be slower than not using a buffer at all. These filters should be used with care, and only where necessary.

Filters
BufferSize
Maximum size in bytes to buffer by the buffer filter
BufferSize integer
BufferSize 131072
server config
virtual host
directory
.htaccess

The BufferSize directive specifies the amount of data in bytes that will be buffered before being read from or written to each request. The default is 128 kilobytes.