Memcached
Overview
Free & open source, high-performance, distributed memory object caching system, generic in nature, but intended for use in speeding up dynamic web applications by alleviating database load.
Memcached is an in-memory key-value store for small chunks of arbitrary data (strings, objects) from results of database calls, API calls, or page rendering.
Memcached is simple yet powerful. Its simple design promotes quick deployment, ease of development, and solves many problems facing large data caches. Its API is available for most popular languages.
Key Features
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High-Performance In-Memory Caching:
Memcached is a high-performance, distributed memory object caching system designed to speed up dynamic web applications by alleviating database load. It stores data in memory to reduce the time required to access frequently requested data.
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Simple Key-Value Store:
Operates as a simple key-value store, where data is stored and retrieved based on unique keys. This simplicity ensures fast data access and is ideal for caching small pieces of data such as database query results or session data.
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Scalability:
Designed to be horizontally scalable. Memcached can be scaled by adding more servers to the cache pool, allowing it to handle increased loads and larger datasets efficiently.
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Distributed Architecture:
Features a distributed architecture, which allows data to be distributed across multiple servers. This architecture enhances performance and reliability by spreading the cache workload.
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Cache Expiration and Eviction:
Provides configurable cache expiration and eviction policies. Users can set time-to-live (TTL) for cached data, and Memcached will automatically evict old or less frequently accessed items to make room for new data.
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Network-Based Access:
Accessible via network protocols, allowing applications to connect to Memcached servers over the network. This enables Memcached to be used in various distributed and cloud-based architectures.
Use Cases
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Web Application Caching:
Ideal for caching database query results, HTML fragments, and session data in web applications. Reduces the load on databases and speeds up page load times by serving frequently accessed data from memory.
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Session Management:
Useful for storing session data in a distributed manner. Ensures fast retrieval of user session information across multiple application servers.
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Data Query Optimization:
Enhances application performance by caching the results of expensive database queries. Reduces the need to re-run queries, thereby decreasing response times and database load.
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Load Reduction:
Helps reduce the load on backend databases and other data sources by offloading repetitive read operations to the cache. Improves overall system performance and scalability.
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Distributed Systems:
Suited for use in distributed systems where multiple servers need to access and update shared cache data. Memcached’s distributed architecture supports large-scale caching environments.