.NET Core: How to implement cache warm-up

When building high-performance .NET Core applications, caching is a powerful tool to improve system response speed and reduce database pressure. However, caching is not achieved overnight, and it also requires a "warm-up" to perform optimally. This is what cache warm-up is about.

1. What is cache warm-up?

Cache warm-up, as the name suggests, is to actively load hotspot data into the cache after the system is started or the cache fails to do so to avoid directly accessing the database when the user requests the first time, causing performance bottlenecks.

2. Why do I need to cache preheating?

Improve user experience:Cache warm-up can avoid delays when users first visit and improve user experience.
Reduce database pressure:Cache warm-up can spread the access pressure of the database to the system startup stage, avoiding database overload during peak periods.
Improve system stability:Cache preheating can avoid problems such as cache breakdown and cache avalanche, and improve system stability.

3. How to implement cache warm-up in .NET Core

.NET Core provides a variety of caching mechanisms, such as memory cache, distributed cache, etc. We can choose different preheating methods according to different cache types.

1. Memory cache preheating

Warm-up at startup:existFiledConfigureIn the method, byIHostApplicationLifetimeThe interface registers the application startup event and loads data into the memory cache when the application starts.

public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostApplicationLifetime lifetime)
{
    (() =&gt;
    {
        var cache = &lt;IMemoryCache&gt;();
        // Load hotspot data from the database        var hotData = GetHotDataFromDatabase();
        // Save data into cache        ("HotData", hotData);
    });
}

Timed task warm-up:useIHostedServiceThe interface creates a background service and regularly loads data from the database into the memory cache.

public class CacheWarmupService : IHostedService, IDisposable
{
    private readonly IMemoryCache _cache;
    private Timer _timer;
    public CacheWarmupService(IMemoryCache cache)
    {
        _cache = cache;
    }
    public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        _timer = new Timer(DoWork, null, , (10));
        return ;
    }
    private void DoWork(object state)
    {
        // Load hotspot data from the database        var hotData = GetHotDataFromDatabase();
        // Save data into cache        _cache.Set("HotData", hotData);
    }
    public Task StopAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        _timer?.Change(, 0);
        return ;
    }
    public void Dispose()
    {
        _timer?.Dispose();
    }
}

2. Distributed cache preheating

Warm-up at startup:Similar to memory cache, data can be loaded into a distributed cache when the application starts.

public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostApplicationLifetime lifetime)
{
    (() =&gt;
    {
        var cache = &lt;IDistributedCache&gt;();
        // Load hotspot data from the database        var hotData = GetHotDataFromDatabase();
        // Save data into cache        ("HotData", (hotData));
    });
}

Independent service warm-up:An independent service can be created, specifically responsible for loading data from the database into the distributed cache, and other applications can realize cache warm-up by calling the interface of the service.

4. Precautions for cache preheating

Selection of warm-up data:Not all data is suitable for preheating. Hot spot data with high access frequency and high calculation cost should be selected for preheating.
Choice of preheating timing:The appropriate time should be selected for cache warm-up to avoid affecting the normal service of the system.
Optimization of warm-up strategy:Different preheating strategies can be designed according to the business scenario and data characteristics, such as full preheating, incremental preheating, etc.

5. Summary

Cache warm-up is an important means to improve the performance of .NET Core applications. Through reasonable warm-up strategies, it can effectively improve user experience, reduce database pressure, and improve system stability. I hope this article can help you better understand and apply cache warm-up technology.

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