Caching remains one of the most effective techniques for boosting the performance and scalability of applications. In the world of .NET Core, various caching strategies are available, including in-memory caching (IMemoryCache API), distributed caching (IDistributedCache API), and the upcoming hybrid caching (HybridCache API) set to be released in .NET 9 this November. While these standard solutions work well in most use cases, they can fall short in more complex scenarios that demand advanced features like adaptive caching, eager refresh, and in-memory synchronization. This is where FusionCache comes into play, offering tailored caching solutions for more sophisticated requirements.
FusionCache is an open-source, fast, and resilient caching library that brings advanced features to .NET Core applications. Unlike traditional caching mechanisms, FusionCache supports both in-memory (L1) and distributed (L2) caching, allowing for a multi-level caching setup where the second level can be any implementation of the IDistributedCache interface. This enables caching that can be shared across multiple application servers, improving scalability and reliability in distributed environments. The key features of FusionCache, such as adaptive caching, conditional refresh, and eager refresh, make it a standout choice for developers looking for more control over their caching strategies.
Some of the standout features of FusionCache include adaptive caching, which allows the cache to adjust to changing data patterns, and conditional refresh, which ensures that only data that has changed gets updated in the cache. Another powerful feature is eager refresh, which proactively updates cached data before it expires, helping to avoid delays when the data is requested. Additionally, FusionCache has built-in protections against cache stampedes—situations where multiple requests simultaneously attempt to refresh the same cache item—and supports cache synchronization to ensure consistency across multiple instances of your application.
To get started with FusionCache in an ASP.NET Core Web API project, you can follow a simple process in Visual Studio 2022. First, launch the IDE and create a new ASP.NET Core Web API project by selecting the appropriate template. After configuring your project settings and selecting the framework version (preferably .NET 8.0 for this example), you’ll be ready to implement FusionCache. By following the steps outlined in the project setup, you can integrate FusionCache into your application, using it to enhance your caching strategy and improve overall performance with features that go beyond the built-in .NET caching solutions.