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The `F33f`_`[Intel`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Intel]`_`f `!Cache Acceleration Software`! (CAS) is a `F33f`_`[computer data storage`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Computer_data_storage]`_`f product for `F33f`_`[solid-state drive`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Solid-state_drive]`_`f (SSD) caching.

>>Contents

• `F0af`_`[Description`#description]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Operating System and File System Support`#operating-system-and-file-system-support]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Intel CAS for Linux`#intel-cas-for-linux]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Intel CAS for Windows Enterprise`#intel-cas-for-windows-enterprise]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Intel CAS for Windows Workstation`#intel-cas-for-windows-workstation]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[See also`#see-also]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[External links`#external-links]`_`f

-─

>>Description

CAS manages using the SSD storage as a cache layer for slower storage data (e.g. spinning hard drives). A cached copy of recently used data from slower storage is kept in faster SSD storage to improve I/O performance.`:cite-ref-1[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-1]`_`f] CAS entered Intel's product line as the result of Intel's August 2012 acquisition of a Canadian start-up company Nevex Virtual Technologies;`:cite-ref-cw-2-0[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-cw-2]`_`f] Intel re-branded Nevex `!CacheWorks`! product to CAS with the release of version 2.0 in December 2012.`:cite-ref-3[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-3]`_`f] Versions of Intel CAS are available for `F33f`_`[Windows`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows]`_`f Enterprise, Windows Workstation, and `F33f`_`[Linux`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Linux]`_`f.`:cite-ref-cw-2-1[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-cw-2]`_`f]`:cite-ref-4[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-4]`_`f]

CAS for Windows is an application-aware file-based cache, which can be tuned by system administrators. Additionally, it integrates with the operating system's `F33f`_`[buffer cache`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Buffer_cache]`_`f, creating a multi-tier cache architecture.`:cite-ref-5[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-5]`_`f]`:cite-ref-6[`F5bf`_`[6`#cite-note-6]`_`f] CAS is also aware of some `F33f`_`[virtualization`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Virtualization]`_`f technologies like `F33f`_`[vMotion`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=VMotion]`_`f, maintaining a hot SSD cache during a VM migration.`:cite-ref-rich-7-0[`F5bf`_`[7`#cite-note-rich-7]`_`f]

CAS works with the enterprise-class Intel SSD products, such as the `F33f`_`[DC S3700`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=DC_S3700]`_`f SATA drives and the DC P3700 NVMe `F33f`_`[PCI Express`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=PCI_Express]`_`f devices.`:cite-ref-cw-2-2[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-cw-2]`_`f] It also works with cache devices across `F33f`_`[SANs`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Storage_area_network]`_`f.`:cite-ref-faq-8-0[`F5bf`_`[8`#cite-note-faq-8]`_`f] Intel CAS for Linux consists of a GPL'd source loadable kernel module paired with a closed source user-space admin configuration tool. The CAS for Linux version supports `F33f`_`[CentOS`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=CentOS]`_`f, `F33f`_`[Red Hat Enterprise Linux`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux]`_`f and `F33f`_`[SUSE Linux Enterprise Server`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Server]`_`f.`:cite-ref-rich-7-1[`F5bf`_`[7`#cite-note-rich-7]`_`f] The Windows Enterprise version currently runs only on the 64-bit flavors of `F33f`_`[Windows Server 2008 R2`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Server_2008_R2]`_`f SP1 and `F33f`_`[Windows Server 2012`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Windows_Server_2012]`_`f R2; 32-bit versions are not currently supported.`:cite-ref-9[`F5bf`_`[9`#cite-note-9]`_`f] The Windows Workstation version currently runs on only the 64-bit flavors of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10; 32-bit versions are not currently supported.

The current version of CAS for Linux supports write-through, write-back, and write-around caching. The Windows versions of CAS support `F33f`_`[write-through`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Write-through]`_`f and write-back caching.`:cite-ref-faq-8-1[`F5bf`_`[8`#cite-note-faq-8]`_`f]

A workstation version, called CAS-W, was announced in September 2013 by `F33f`_`[Dell`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Dell]`_`f; Dell's announcement states an exclusive agreement with Intel to offer CAS-W only for `F33f`_`[Dell Precision`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Dell_Precision]`_`f workstations.`:cite-ref-10[`F5bf`_`[10`#cite-note-10]`_`f]`:cite-ref-11[`F5bf`_`[11`#cite-note-11]`_`f]

>>Operating System and File System Support

>>>Intel CAS for Linux

`t

| CAS Version | Release Date | RHEL | CentOS | SLES | Ubuntu | Oracle Linux | Other Distros |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| 2.0 | Feb 2013 | 5.6, 6.1 | | 11 SP1 | | | |

| 2.1 | May 2013 | 5.6, 6.1 | | 11 SP1 | | | |

| 2.5 | Aug 2013 | 5.6, 6.1 | | 11 SP1 | | | |

| 2.6 | Dec 2013 | 5.6, 5.9, 6.1, 6.4 | | 11 SP1, SP2 | | | |

| 2.6.1 | Apr 2014 | 5.6, 5.9, 6.1, 6.4 | | 11 SP1, SP2 | | | |

| 2.7 | Aug 2014 | 5.6-5.10, 6.1-6.5 | 6.5 (custom) | 11 SP1, SP2 | | | |

| 2.7.1 | Oct 2014 | 5.6-5.10, 6.1-6.5 | 6.5 (custom) | 11 SP1, SP2 | | | |

| 2.8 | Dec 2014 | 5.6-5.11, 6.1-6.5, 7.0 | 6.5 (custom) | 11 SP1-SP3 | | | |

| 2.9 | Jun 2015 | 5.11, 6.6, 7.0 | 6.6 | 11 SP1-SP3 | | | Yes |

| 3.0 | Dec 2015 | 6.6, 7.0, 7.1 | 6.6, 7.0, 7.1 | 11 SP3 | | | Yes |

| 3.1 | July 2016 | 6.6, 6.7, 7.0-7.2 | 6.6, 6.7, 7.0-7.2 | 11 SP4 | 14.04.3 | 6.6, 6.7 | Yes |

`t

>>>Intel CAS for Windows Enterprise

`t

| CAS Version | Release Date | Windows Server |

|---|---|---|

| 2.0 | Dec 2012 | 2008 R2 |

| 2.0.1 | Apr 2013 | 2008 R2 |

| 2.5 | Oct 2013 | 2003 R2 SP2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 |

| 2.5.1 | Apr 2014 | 2003 R2 SP2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 |

| 2.5.3 | Jul 2014 | 2003 R2 SP2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 |

| 2.6 | Oct 2014 | 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2 |

| 2.6.1 | Dec 2014 | 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2 |

| 2.7 | Feb 2015 | 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2 |

| 2.7.1 | May 2015 | 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2 |

| 3.0.1 | Mar 2016 | 2008 R2 SP1, 2012 R2 |

`t

>>>Intel CAS for Windows Workstation

`t

| CAS Version | Release Date | Windows Version |

|---|---|---|

| 2.5 | Dec 2013 | Windows 7 x64 |

| 2.5.1 | Mar 2014 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8 x64 |

| 2.5.3 | Jun 2014 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64 |

| 2.6 | Oct 2014 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64 |

| 2.6.1 | Dec 2014 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64 |

| 2.7 | Feb 2015 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64 |

| 2.7.1 | May 2015 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64 |

| 3.0 | Nov 2015 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64, Windows 10 x64 |

| 3.0.1 | Mar 2016 | Windows 7 x64, Windows 8.1 x64, Windows 10 x64 |

`t

>>See also

• Intel `F33f`_`[Smart Response Technology`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Smart_Response_Technology]`_`f for desktop-class computers

• Microsoft's `F33f`_`[Automated Tiering`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Automated_Tiering]`_`f (Windows 2012 R2)

>>References

`:cite-note-1`!1.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-1]`_`f "Intel® Cache Acceleration Software Explained Simply". intel.com. Retrieved 2019-01-25.

`:cite-note-cw-2`!2.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-cw-2-0]`_`f Intel releases SSD cache acceleration software for Linux servers - Computerworld

`:cite-note-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-3]`_`f "Intel Cache Acceleration Software (Intel CAS) Version 2.0 for Windows" (PDF). intel.com. Retrieved 2013-12-20.

`:cite-note-4`!4.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-4]`_`f "Intel serves flashy speed to penguins after eating Nevex's cache". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-20.

`:cite-note-5`!5.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-5]`_`f "Nevex reverses cache rules to accelerate apps". theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-12-20.

`:cite-note-6`!6.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-6]`_`f Nevex Speeds Apps With Caching System - InformationWeek

`:cite-note-rich-7`!7.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-rich-7-0]`_`f Intel Cache Acceleration Software - YouTube

`:cite-note-faq-8`!8.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-faq-8-0]`_`f Intel Cache Acceleration Software: FAQ Configuration and Use

`:cite-note-9`!9.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-9]`_`f "Support for Intel® Cache Acceleration Software".

`:cite-note-10`!10.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-10]`_`f New Intel CAS-W: Accelerating Software Application Performance - Direct2Dell - Direct2Dell - Dell Community

`:cite-note-11`!11.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-11]`_`f Intel Cache Acceleration Software with Dell and Autodesk - YouTube

>>External links

• Official website

• Open CAS Framework

• Old blog post on the (now defunct) Nevex web site explaining the basic idea behind CacheWorks

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