How Cache-Aside Works
Cache-Aside, also known as Lazy Loading, is a popular caching pattern in system design used to improve the performance and efficiency of data retrieval operations. Here’s how it works, step-by-step:
In Cache-Aside, the cache acts as an intermediary between the application and the database. The application directly interacts with the cache to retrieve or store data, and the database is queried only when the data is not present in the cache.
Read Operation (Cache Miss Scenario)
- Check Cache: The application first checks if the requested data is present in the cache.
- Cache Miss: If the data is not found (cache miss), the application then queries the database to retrieve the data.
- Update Cache: Once the data is fetched from the database, it is stored in the cache for future use.
- Return Data: The data is then returned to the client.
Read Operation (Cache Hit Scenario)
- Check Cache: The application first checks if the requested data is present in the cache.
- Cache Hit: If the data is found in the cache (cache hit), it is directly returned to the client, avoiding the database query.
Write Operation
- Update Database: The application updates the data in the database.
- Invalidate Cache: The corresponding cache entry is either invalidated (removed) or updated to ensure consistency between the cache and the database.
Key Characteristics
- Lazy Loading: The cache is populated only when a cache miss occurs. This means data is loaded into the cache only when it is requested by the application.
- Manual Cache Management: The application is responsible for managing the cache, including populating it on cache misses and invalidating or updating it on data changes.
- Efficiency: Cache-Aside helps in reducing the load on the database and improves read performance by serving frequently accessed data from the cache.
Cache-Aside Pattern
The “Cache-Aside Pattern” is a way to manage data caching to improve system performance. When an application needs data, it first checks the cache. If the data is there a cache hit, it is used right away. If not a cache miss, the application fetches the data from the main database, stores a copy in the cache, and then uses it. This pattern helps reduce database load and speeds up data retrieval. It’s commonly used to enhance the efficiency and scalability of applications by making frequently accessed data quickly available.
Important Topics for Cache-Aside Pattern
- What is the Cache-Aside Pattern?
- How it Improves System Performance?
- Basic Principles of Cache-Aside Pattern
- How Cache-Aside Works
- Cache Population Strategies
- Challenges and Solutions for Cache Invalidation
- Handling Cache misses, Errors, and Timeouts in Cache-Aside pattern
- Optimization techniques to enhance Cache-Aside pattern performance
- Scaling Cache Infrastructure
- Real-world Examples
Contact Us