⚡ 05. ElastiCache Overview
AWS’s managed in-memory caching service that boosts application performance by reducing database load.
Amazon ElastiCache is a fully managed in-memory data store and cache that provides:
- Sub-millisecond latency
- High throughput
- Automatic scaling and management
It helps improve application performance by storing frequently accessed data in memory, reducing load on databases.
🧠 Supported Engines
| Engine | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Redis | Advanced key-value store with replication, persistence, Pub/Sub, and data structures. | Real-time analytics, leaderboards, caching sessions, message brokering. |
| Memcached | Simple, memory-only caching system with multi-threaded design. | Simple caching layer to speed up dynamic web applications. |
⚙️ How It Works
- Application queries ElastiCache instead of directly hitting the database.
- Frequently accessed data is stored in-memory.
- Cache hit → returns data instantly.
- Cache miss → data fetched from DB, stored in cache for future requests.
🧩 Result: Reduced latency, faster response times, and decreased load on backend databases.