Distributed Cache
Introduction
A distributed cache is a computer networking design pattern that allows applications to store data across multiple nodes in a network, thereby improving performance and scalability. This is achieved by reducing the latency of data access and offloading the database.
Architecture
Distributed caching systems are typically designed using a client-server or a peer-to-peer model. In a client-server model, the cache servers are centrally managed and clients access the cache servers to store and retrieve data. In a peer-to-peer model, all nodes are equal and can act as both a client and a server.
Distributed Cache Strategies
There are several strategies for distributing data across the cache nodes. These include:
- Consistent Hashing: This technique uses a hash function to distribute data evenly across the cache nodes. It minimizes the re-distribution of data when nodes are added or removed.
- Key-based Partitioning: In this method, data is partitioned based on the key. Each node in the cache is responsible for storing a specific range of keys.
- Replication: In this strategy, data is replicated across multiple nodes to ensure high availability and fault tolerance.
Use Cases
Distributed caching is commonly used in high-traffic web applications, real-time analytics, and big data processing. It can significantly improve the performance of read-heavy applications and provide fast access to frequently used data.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The main advantages of distributed caching include improved performance, scalability, and fault tolerance. However, it also introduces complexity in terms of data consistency and cache coherence.