3 crucial caching choices: Where, when, and how

Caching is a vital technique to enhance application performance by reducing latency and improving user experience, but it requires careful strategic decisions to avoid pitfalls such as stale data and reduced availability. The initial blog in a series by Alex DeBrie explores three fundamental caching decisions: where to cache, when to cache, and how to cache. Local caching, which is easier to implement, contrasts with remote caching, which offers broader utility and centralized management. In terms of timing, caching can occur either on data read, known as lazy loading, which is flexible and space-efficient, or on data write, which anticipates imminent use but is more complex. The method of caching can be either inline, which integrates directly with the application's data request flow, simplifying application logic but risking availability, or aside, which offers flexibility and decoupling from the data source but requires explicit data management. The blog underscores the importance of making informed decisions based on these aspects to craft an effective caching strategy that maximizes benefits and minimizes drawbacks.