Types of Cache Used in System Design and Architecture

Types of Cache: Overview, Use Cases, and Examples Caching can be implemented in various layers of a system. Here's a breakdown of the main types of cache, categorized by where and how they are used: 1. Client-Side Cache Definition: Data is cached on the user's device (browser or app). Use Case: Store static assets, user preferences, session data. Benefits: Reduces server load. Improves perceived performance and load times. Examples: Browser cache (HTML, CSS, JS). Service workers using IndexedDB or localStorage. HTTP caching headers (Cache-Control, ETag). 2. Server-Side Cache Definition: Data is cached on the backend server. Use Case: Cache API responses, authentication tokens, templates. Benefits: Reduces computation and DB queries. Faster response for repeat requests. Examples: Node.js or Django in-memory cache. Redis or Memcached integrated into the app logic. 3. Database Cache Definition: Frequently accessed database queries or results are cached. Use Case: Speed up slow or expensive DB queries. Benefits: Reduces read load on the database. Improves latency for complex joins or aggregations. Examples: Redis used to store query results. Materialized views in SQL databases. Query result caching in PostgreSQL or MySQL. 4. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Cache Definition: Caches static and dynamic content at edge locations near users. Use Case: Serve images, videos, and static files quickly worldwide. Benefits: Low latency, high availability. Offloads origin server. Examples: Cloudflare, Akamai, AWS CloudFront. 5. Application-Level Cache Definition: Cache implemented within the application layer for specific logic. Use Case: Caching method results, configuration, business logic. Benefits: Fine-grained control over what gets cached. Can be memory-efficient. Examples: Spring Boot caching annotations. Python decorators using functools.lru_cache. 6. Distributed Cache Definition: Cache that spans multiple nodes/machines, shared across a cluster. Use Case: Scalability for large, high-throughput systems. Benefits: High availability and horizontal scaling. Can support replication, sharding. Examples: Redis Cluster. Hazelcast, Apache Ignite. 7. Page Cache / Full Page Cache (FPC) Definition: Entire HTML pages are cached to serve without re-rendering. Use Case: E-commerce platforms, CMS websites. Benefits: Dramatically improves page load time. Reduces backend workload. Examples: Magento Full Page Cache. Varnish Cache. 8. Operating System (OS) Cache Definition: OS caches frequently used disk blocks or file system data. Use Case: Speed up file system access, reduce disk I/O. Benefits: Transparent to the user/app. Improves performance of frequently used files. Examples: Linux Page Cache. Windows Disk Cache.

Jun 17, 2025 - 20:00

Types of Cache Used in System Design and Architecture

Types of Cache: Overview, Use Cases, and Examples

Caching can be implemented in various layers of a system. Here's a breakdown of the main types of cache, categorized by where and how they are used:

1. Client-Side Cache
Definition: Data is cached on the user's device (browser or app).
Use Case: Store static assets, user preferences, session data.
Benefits:

Reduces server load.
Improves perceived performance and load times.

Examples:

Browser cache (HTML, CSS, JS).
Service workers using IndexedDB or localStorage.
HTTP caching headers (Cache-Control, ETag).

2. Server-Side Cache
Definition: Data is cached on the backend server.
Use Case: Cache API responses, authentication tokens, templates.
Benefits:

Reduces computation and DB queries.
Faster response for repeat requests.

Examples:

Node.js or Django in-memory cache.
Redis or Memcached integrated into the app logic.

3. Database Cache
Definition: Frequently accessed database queries or results are cached.
Use Case: Speed up slow or expensive DB queries.
Benefits:

Reduces read load on the database.
Improves latency for complex joins or aggregations.

Examples:

Redis used to store query results.
Materialized views in SQL databases.
Query result caching in PostgreSQL or MySQL.

4. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Cache
Definition: Caches static and dynamic content at edge locations near users.
Use Case: Serve images, videos, and static files quickly worldwide.
Benefits:

Low latency, high availability.
Offloads origin server.

Examples:

Cloudflare, Akamai, AWS CloudFront.

5. Application-Level Cache
Definition: Cache implemented within the application layer for specific logic.
Use Case: Caching method results, configuration, business logic.
Benefits:

Fine-grained control over what gets cached.
Can be memory-efficient.

Examples:

Spring Boot caching annotations.
Python decorators using functools.lru_cache.

6. Distributed Cache
Definition: Cache that spans multiple nodes/machines, shared across a cluster.
Use Case: Scalability for large, high-throughput systems.
Benefits:

High availability and horizontal scaling.
Can support replication, sharding.

Examples:

Redis Cluster.
Hazelcast, Apache Ignite.

7. Page Cache / Full Page Cache (FPC)
Definition: Entire HTML pages are cached to serve without re-rendering.
Use Case: E-commerce platforms, CMS websites.
Benefits:

Dramatically improves page load time.
Reduces backend workload.

Examples:

Magento Full Page Cache.
Varnish Cache.

8. Operating System (OS) Cache
Definition: OS caches frequently used disk blocks or file system data.
Use Case: Speed up file system access, reduce disk I/O.
Benefits:

Transparent to the user/app.
Improves performance of frequently used files.

Examples:

Linux Page Cache.
Windows Disk Cache.