Question 1

How do I set up in-memory caching in an ASP.NET Core app?

Accepted Answer

Use the IMemoryCache interface by adding services.AddMemoryCache() in your Startup.cs or Program.cs. This caches data within the application's process memory for fast access, as described in the in-memory caching feature.

Question 2

What's the difference between IMemoryCache and IDistributedCache in ASP.NET?

Accepted Answer

IMemoryCache is for in-memory caching within a single server, while IDistributedCache is for caching across multiple servers or processes, using backends like Redis or SQL Server. IMemoryCache is faster but not scalable across servers, as outlined in the key features.

Question 3

Should I use ASP.NET Caching or a standalone Redis cache?

Accepted Answer

ASP.NET Caching provides a standardized interface that abstracts cache implementation, making it easier to switch providers within ASP.NET Core. However, for advanced Redis features or non-ASP.NET environments, a standalone Redis client might be more suitable.

Question 4

How to configure SQL Server as a distributed cache in ASP.NET Core?

Accepted Answer

Install the Microsoft.Extensions.Caching.SqlServer package, then use services.AddDistributedSqlServerCache() with a connection string in your configuration. This sets up SQL Server as the backing store, as mentioned in the SQL Server Cache feature.

Question 5

Is the ASP.NET Caching library still supported by Microsoft?

Accepted Answer

The caching libraries are still part of ASP.NET Core and maintained in the aspnet/Extensions repository. However, this specific GitHub project (aspnet/Caching) is archived, so for latest updates, refer to the Extensions repo, as noted in the README.

Question 6

What are common pitfalls when using distributed caching in ASP.NET?

Accepted Answer

Common issues include serialization errors, cache invalidation strategies, and network latency in distributed setups. It's crucial to handle cache expiration and consistency properly to avoid stale data, which the standardized interfaces help mitigate.

Question 7

How can I migrate from in-memory to distributed caching without breaking my app?

Accepted Answer

Switch from IMemoryCache to IDistributedCache in your services configuration, then update cache operations to use the distributed interface. Test thoroughly to ensure data serialization and retrieval work correctly across servers, leveraging the consistent APIs.

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