caching-strategy-redis

name	caching-strategy-redis
description	To improve response times and reduce database load by storing frequently accessed data in a fast, in-memory store. Use when: When fetching data that changes infrequently (e.g., product catalog, configuration); When computing expensive aggregations; When endpoints have high read-to-write ratios.

Purpose

To improve response times and reduce database load by storing frequently accessed data in a fast, in-memory store.

When to Use

• When fetching data that changes infrequently (e.g., product catalog, configuration).
• When computing expensive aggregations.
• When endpoints have high read-to-write ratios.

Procedure

1. Identify Data: Determine what to cache and for how long (TTL).
2. Check Cache First:
   • Construct a unique cache key (e.g., product:123).
   • Query Redis for the key.
   • If found (Hit), return JSON parsed data immediately.
3. Fetch on Miss:
   • If not found (Miss), query the primary database.
   • Save the result to Redis with an expiration (SETEX key ttl value).
   • Return the data.
4. Invalidation Strategy:
   • Determine how to handle updates (Cache-Aside is common).
   • When data is updated/deleted, delete the corresponding Redis key.

Constraints

• Handle cache stampedes (many requests for same missing key at once).
• Ensure data consistency (don't serve stale data longer than acceptable).
• Serialize/deserialize objects correctly (Redis stores strings/buffers).

Expected Output

A caching utility or middleware that transparently handles cache hits and misses, significantly reducing API latency.