Cache serves a dual purpose of enhancing speed and reducing costs.

Allow me to share my experience of how I managed to decrease my annual expenses from $10k to $700 by optimizing caching.

Many individuals only consider caching when their system slows down. However, caching can also be a valuable asset for saving money. Here’s how I tackled the issue by analyzing operation patterns. I delved into our system’s performance patterns to identify areas for optimization.

By tracing, I discovered a consistent pattern in our processing that involved five steps, each requiring the same data from an external service. Additionally, these processes often took between 1 to 10 days, leaving room for data expiration.

Recognizing Cacheable Data, I realized that the responses from the external service contained unnecessary information. To streamline the process, I created a lightweight version that included only the essential data, tailored to our system’s requirements.

Next, I addressed the challenge of defining cache keys. Due to confidentiality concerns, I couldn’t directly use the business ID. Instead, I devised a hashed medium to obscure it, providing a secure yet functional key for caching.

With the groundwork laid, I implemented the cache logic. Before making a request to the external service, the system now checks if the required data is already cached using the designated key. If the cached data is found, it is served directly, bypassing the costly external request. However, if the data is not cached, the system proceeds to fetch it from the external service and stores it in the cache for future use. I also included a mechanism for forced cache eviction if necessary.

Upon deployment, I thoroughly tested the system to ensure smooth operation. The results were remarkable, not only in terms of improved performance but also significant cost savings.

In conclusion, effective caching is not solely about speeding up your system; it is a strategic tool for optimizing costs and enhancing overall efficiency.