Caching as a service (CaaS) is a cloud-based solution that improves data retrieval speeds by storing frequently accessed data in an easily accessible format. This can significantly improve the performance of applications and user experience.
Comparison of the caching strategies in terms of maintenance and prevention of code duplication as the number of clients increases:
The table illustrates that Cache-as-a-Service (CaaS) tends to be the most suitable solution for both maintenance and prevention of code duplication as the number of clients increases. It centralizes caching logic within the caching service, simplifying maintenance efforts and ensuring consistency across client applications.
| Caching Strategy | Maintenance | Code Duplication Prevention |
| Cache-aside Pattern | – May require replication of caching logic across multiple client applications. – Changes to caching logic may need to be implemented separately in each client. | – Potential for code duplication as caching logic may need to be replicated across different parts of the application. – Changes to caching logic may need to be applied separately in each client. |
| Read-through / Write-through | – Caching logic is typically implemented within the client application, potentially leading to code duplication. – Maintenance may involve updating caching logic in each client. | – Caching logic needs to be implemented separately in each client, leading to potential code duplication. – Changes to caching logic may need to be applied separately in each client. |
| Cache-as-a-Service (CaaS)* | – Centralized caching logic within the caching service simplifies maintenance. – Updates or changes to caching logic can be made in one central location. | – Centralized caching logic reduces code duplication as clients interact with the caching service through well-defined interfaces or APIs. – Changes to caching logic are applied uniformly across all clients. |
Cache-as-a-Service (CaaS)
Clients interact exclusively with the caching service through its API or interfaces, and they do not need to interact directly with the underlying database.
Here’s how it typically works:
Client Interaction: Clients make requests to the caching service to retrieve or store data.
They interact with the caching service through well-defined APIs or interfaces provided by the caching service provider.
Caching Service Interaction: The caching service manages the interaction with the underlying database on behalf of the clients.
It handles data retrieval, storage, eviction, and invalidation from the database as needed to maintain cache consistency.
Database Interaction: Clients are shielded from direct interaction with the database.
All database interactions, including data retrieval and storage, are managed internally by the caching service.
By abstracting away the complexity of database interactions, Cache-as-a-Service simplifies client interactions and helps ensure that clients only need to be concerned with caching-related operations. This separation of concerns also facilitates maintenance and scalability, as changes to the caching logic can be made centrally within the caching service without impacting client applications.
Caching systems:
Redis: An in-memory data structure store that can be used as a caching service. It offers features such as data persistence, replication, and various data structures.
Memcached: A high-performance, distributed memory object caching system. It is simple and efficient for caching key-value pairs.
CaaS API Endpoints (Examples)
| Functionality | Placeholder Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Store Data | POST <provider_specific_base_url>/cache/data | Stores a data object in the cache. The request body typically contains the data to be cached. |
| Retrieve Data | GET <provider_specific_base_url>/cache/data/<key> | Retrieves a data object from the cache based on its unique identifier (<key>). |
| Invalidate Data | DELETE <provider_specific_base_url>/cache/data/<key> | Removes a specific data object identified by <key> from the cache. |
| Purge Cache | DELETE <provider_specific_base_url>/cache | Clears the entire cache. This might require confirmation or specific parameters depending on the provider. |
| Get Cache Configuration | GET <provider_specific_base_url>/cache/config | Retrieves the current configuration settings for the cache (e.g., expiration times, eviction policies). |
| Update Cache Configuration | PUT <provider_specific_base_url>/cache/config | Updates specific configuration settings for the cache. This endpoint might require additional parameters depending on the provider. |