10 cache concepts you should know as a programmer

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Another useful post by Neo Kim.

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• https://substack.com/@systemdesignone/note/c-67547464
• https://newsletter.systemdesign.one/

10 cache concepts you should know as a programmer

By: Neo Kim

Substack: 3 September 2024

1. client-side caching:

• browser cache: stores css, js, images to reduce load time
• service workers: enable offline access by caching response

2. server-side caching:

• page caching: cache the entire web page
• fragment caching: cache page components like sidebars, navigation bar
• object caching: cache expensive query results

3. database caching:

• query caching: cache db query results to reduce load
• row level caching: cache popular rows to avoid repeated fetches

4. application-level caching:

• data caching cache specific data points or entire datasets
• computational caching: cache expensive computation results to avoid recalculation

5. distributed caching:

• spreads cache across many servers for scalability

6. cdn:

• store static files near users using edge servers for low latency

7. cache replacement policies:

• LRU: removes the least recently accessed items first
• MRU: removes the most recently accessed items first
• LFU: removes items accessed least often

8. hierarchical caching:

• caching at many levels (L1, L2 caches) for speed and capacity

9. cache invalidation:

• TTL: set expiry time
• event-based: invalidate based on events or conditions
• manual: update cache using tools

10. caching patterns:

• write-through: data gets written to the cache and the backing store at once
• write-behind: data gets written to the cache and asynchronously to the backing store
• write-around: data gets written directly to the database, bypassing the cache

Caching improves the performance and scalability of your application.

So use it with care.

What else would you add?