Setup

Pointing GeoWebCache to GeoServer’s WMS

By default, GeoWebCache expects GeoServer to be accessible at the following URL:

http://localhost:8080/geoserver

To point GeoWebCache elsewhere, you will need to specify the location of your GeoServer instance’s WMS GetCapabilities path. Stop GeoServer if it is currently running, and then add the following code to your GeoServer’s web.xml file (located in the WEB-INF directory):

<context-param>
   <param-name>GEOSERVER_WMS_URL</param-name>
   <param-value>http://example.com/path/wms?request=GetCapabilities</param-value>
</context-param>

Make sure to replace the URL inside <param-value> with your GeoServer instance’s WMS GetCapabilities path. Restart GeoServer when done.

Note

There is a quick link to the WMS GetCapabilities path accessible from the Welcome page of the Web Administration Interface. (See Interface basics for details.)

Setting the directory for cached data

GeoWebCache will automatically store cached tiles in the gwc directory inside your GeoServer data directory. To change this, stop GeoServer (if it is running) and add the following code to your GeoServer’s web.xml file (located in the WEB-INF directory):

<context-param>
   <param-name>GEOWEBCACHE_CACHE_DIR</param-name>
   <param-value>C:\temp</param-value>
</context-param>

Make sure to change the path inside <param-value> to the desired path. Restart GeoServer when done.

GeoWebCache with multiple GeoServer instances

GeoWebCache does not work when multiple GeoServer instances are configured to use the same data directory. The H2 database crashes during initialization when the second instance is started.

Two possible workarounds: ..

  1. Delete gwc*.jar in WEB-INF/lib and restart GeoServer. This disables GeoWebCache. If you wish, you can run a separate instance in front of all your GeoSer

ver instances. ..

  1. Set the variable GEOWEBCACHE_CACHE_DIR, described above, to point to a local directory for each instance.
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