What is Memcached, and How Does It Boost Website Performance?

Understanding the Basics of Caching for Websites

In today’s digital era, where website speed and responsiveness are key to retaining visitors and driving engagement, web developers always look for ways to optimize their sites. One such solution that has gained popularity is Memcached.

The effect caching can have on the speed of your website cannot be overstated. That being said, there are numerous kinds of caching and a range of caching solutions. It follows that a lot of WordPress users don’t know where to begin with caching or if they even need it.

Offering a fantastic user experience requires a quick website, boosting search engine rankings, and encouraging conversions. Caching can assist you in achieving all of these objectives and more, even though it may be a little technical.

At ARZ Host, we’ll explain What is Memcached & WordPress website caching in this post. We’ll go over the definition of caching and the possible choices. Next, we’ll explore a caching method that isn’t as well-known but has the potential to significantly improve your WordPress website.  

Now let’s get going!

The Role of Caching in Performance and User Experience

When someone visits your website by default, their browser automatically requests the document from your server. After processing this request, the server puts the page together and delivers it back to the browser.

Your server could be able to handle every request if your website receives a small amount of traffic. In that case, the performance of your website might not be affected considerably. However, as your site grows your server will have to work harder to process the growing number of requests. This could begin to impact the functionality of your website.

Placing frequently accessed data in a temporary cache is the process of caching. This material will be provided from the cache each time a visitor requests it, not the server. This lessens the latter’s load.

The request will be forwarded to the server if the data is not already cached. But on route back to the browser, this data will be cached and saved in a copy. That way, the next time someone requests this content, a cached copy will be ready.

Your website’s performance can be improved via caching, even during periods of high traffic. This facilitates the scalability of your website and helps you manage unforeseen traffic surges.

Caching facilitates faster content delivery, which enhances the visitor experience. Visitors who are having a good time on your website are more likely to take constructive actions, like signing up for your newsletter or making a transaction. Hopefully, this will increase your revenue and conversions.

Page speed is another ranking criterion used by search engines like Google. Accordingly, caching may benefit your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Climbing just one place in Google’s results can increase your Click-Through Rate (CTR) by over 53 percent, making SEO a crucial way to grow your audience.

Exploring Different Caching Methods and Their Advantages

You have a selection of different caching options. Although they usually adhere to the same overall idea, particular solutions could function differently in real life.

With certain caching systems, data is kept locally on the person’s computer the first time they visit your website. On subsequent visits, this data can then be loaded from their local storage. Page load times will be faster as a result. 

However, as the saying goes you never get a second chance to make a first impression! If the visitor’s first impression is a slow, unresponsive website, they’re unlikely to come back for more.

Some systems, like Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), store cached versions of your website in remote places. Since these sites are frequently dispersed physically, your global audience will have easy access to local resources. 

The cached data will be requested by a visitor’s browser from the nearest physical access point. When opposed to interacting with a server that can be thousands of miles away, this will frequently speed up the loading of your pages.

Depending on how your site was constructed, different caching options might be available. For examples, you’ll have access to a variety of specialized caching solutions if you’re utilizing a well-known platform like WordPress.

Also, a few hosting companies provide their own cache systems. You should consider selecting a hosting provider that includes caching in their packages if you want support in building a high-performing website.

How Object Caching Can Boost Your Website’s Performance

Object caching is a powerful optimization technique used to enhance website performance by storing frequently accessed data in a temporary storage area, or “cache,” for quick retrieval. 

Here’s how implementing object caching can significantly improve your website:

1. Improves Page Load Speed: Object caching stores database query results, API calls, and other objects in memory, reducing the need to fetch this information repeatedly from the database. By serving cached data, your website can display content faster, resulting in reduced page load times and a smoother user experience.
2. Reduces Database Load: When multiple users access your site simultaneously, the number of database requests can increase dramatically, potentially slowing down your website. Object caching minimizes database queries by serving stored data instead. This reduces the strain on your database and prevents potential slowdowns or crashes.
3. Enhances Scalability: As your site grows and receives more traffic, object caching can handle increased load without sacrificing performance. By reducing the number of queries sent to your database, your website becomes more scalable and can accommodate higher traffic volumes with ease.
4. Boosts Server Efficiency: With object caching, data is often stored in faster-access memory such as RAM. This means the server doesn’t need to perform intensive operations to retrieve data, leading to improved overall server efficiency and reduced resource usage.
5. Improves User Experience: Faster loading pages and consistent website performance are critical factors in retaining visitors. By leveraging object caching, you ensure that returning users get a faster experience, as cached data can be quickly retrieved, enhancing overall satisfaction.
6. SEO Benefits: Website speed is a key factor in search engine rankings. Faster websites rank higher on search results, making it easier for users to find your site. Object caching contributes to a better SEO performance by significantly reducing load times.

Implementing object caching can be done using plugins or through manual configuration, depending on your server environment. 

Popular tools like Memcached or Redis are widely used for object caching, while CMS platforms like WordPress offer caching plugins (e.g., W3 Total Cache) that can be easily integrated.

Object caching is an effective way to boost your website’s speed, scalability, and overall performance. 

You may reduce database calls and server load and create a more responsive and effective website that improves user experience and search engine rankings by temporarily caching data.

Overview of Memcached and Its Role in Object Caching

An open-source program for permanent object caching is called Memcached. In basic terms, this means that Memcached keeps items in order to reuse them in between page loads. Memcached minimizes the number of times the database needs to be read by storing its data in Read Access Memory (RAM).

Memcached is a member of the NoSQL family of data management programs, and it uses key-value pairs to store all of its data. This covers the output of database queries as well as API requests.

Memcached is an effective persistent object caching solution that comes in handy when the same piece of data is requested again. For instance, a lot of the content on your website may be repeated. When the cost of producing a certain piece of content is considerable, Memcached can also result in a noticeable performance improvement.

Memcached can be used in conjunction with WordPress’ built-in WP_Object_Cache class to greatly lessen the load on your site’s MySQL database. 

Even when your website is receiving a lot of traffic, this can speed up page loads and response times. Also, it can assist your website with handling unforeseen traffic surges, such as the notorious Reddit “Hug of Death.”

Key Features of Memcached: Important Characteristics

Memcached’s efficiency is attributed to several key features:

• Lightweight and Efficient: Memcached is designed to be lightweight, minimizing memory usage and CPU consumption, ensuring that it does not become a bottleneck for performance.
• Distributed Caching System: Memcached supports horizontal scaling, allowing multiple servers to work together to form a distributed caching layer, making it easy to scale up as your website’s needs grow.
• In-Memory Storage: Using RAM for storage enables quick access to cached data, reducing the time needed to process database queries.
• Support for Multiple Data Types: Memcached can cache strings, objects, and other complex data types, making it versatile for different types of applications.
• Easy Integration: Memcached is supported by the most popular programming languages and frameworks, such as PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, and .NET, making it easy to integrate into existing applications.

Related Article: What Is PHP And How Does it Power WordPress

How Does Memcached Work: Its Structure and Key Operations

Memcached is a high-performance, distributed memory caching system used to speed up dynamic web applications by reducing the load on databases. It operates as a key-value store, keeping data temporarily in memory to enhance response times and minimize the number of database queries needed to retrieve information.

 This is especially beneficial for web applications with frequent reads, such as fetching user sessions, product details, or other frequently requested content. 

Understanding how Memcached works involves knowing its structure, key operations, and typical use cases.

Memcached Structure and Operations

Memcached is built around a client-server architecture. It consists of one or more servers that store data and multiple clients that access this data. 

Each server in a Memcached system runs independently, meaning there’s no need for coordination or synchronization between servers. Data is stored in the form of key-value pairs, where each value is associated with a unique key. 

When an application requests a value, the client queries the appropriate server using the key.

The key to Memcached’s efficiency is its in-memory data storage. Instead of persisting data to a disk, Memcached keeps it in RAM, making data retrieval extremely fast. 

This makes it suitable for caching frequently accessed but infrequently updated data. Since it’s designed to be lightweight, Memcached also uses a least recently used (LRU) algorithm to evict older items when the memory limit is reached, ensuring that space is always available for new data.

Key Core Operations of Memcached

Memcached offers several basic operations that developers can use to interact with the cache:

1. Set: This operation stores a key-value pair in the cache. If the key already exists, the new value overwrites the old one. It’s commonly used to populate the cache with fresh data retrieved from a database.
2. Get: The get operation retrieves the value associated with a given key. If the key doesn’t exist, the server returns null. This is the most common operation and helps reduce the number of direct database reads.
3. Add: Unlike set, the add operation only stores a value if the key does not already exist. If the key exists, it leaves the current value unchanged.
4. Replace: This updates an existing key’s value. If the key does not exist, replace does nothing.
5. Delete: This removes a key and its associated value from the cache. It’s useful for invalidating or clearing specific cache entries.
6. Increment/Decrement: These operations modify the value of an existing numeric key, either increasing or decreasing it by a specified amount. They’re often used for counters or tracking metrics.

Data Storage and Retrieval Process

When storing data, the Memcached client first generates a unique hash for the key. The hash is then used to determine which server in the cluster will hold the data.

This process is known as consistent hashing and helps distribute keys evenly across servers, avoiding bottlenecks or overloading a single server.

For retrieval, the client uses the same hash function to identify the server holding the requested key. If the server has the key, it returns the associated value; otherwise, the client must fetch the value from the database and update the cache.

Scenarios Where Memcached is Most Effective

Memcached is typically used for:

• Session Storage: Temporary session data, such as user login states, can be stored in Memcached for quick access.
• Caching Database Queries: Frequently executed queries or results can be cached, reducing the load on the database.
• Object Caching: Any repetitive data or computational result that doesn’t change frequently, such as website configurations or rendered HTML fragments, can be stored in Memcached.
• Content Aggregation: When multiple sources of data need to be combined, Memcached can cache the aggregated content to avoid repetitive aggregation processes.

Memcached functions by providing a quick, in-memory data storage with key-value caching. As a result of its ease of use and rapid performance, it is perfect for applications that need to reduce database load and get data quickly. 

Memcached guarantees scalability and performance for contemporary web applications by storing transient data in memory and distributing it across several servers.

How the Memcached Object Caching Solution Works

Memcached has a client-server architecture made up of four parts. A client server makes up the first part and keeps track of all the available Memcached servers.

The first thing the client-server does when it receives a query is to see if the requested data is already stored in the cache. Memcached returns data to the client without interacting with the database if it is already available. Memcached sends the request to the database if the data isn’t cached.

A typical Memcached solution consists of many servers and clients to help divide the load. Memcached matches each request to the right server using a client-based hashing technique.

The key/value combinations for different items are also stored by the Memcached server program. This covers page rendering, database call results, and API calls. These key/value pairings are kept by Memcached in an internal hash table.

Least Recently Used (LRU) is the last algorithm that Memcached offers. This approach finds the objects that are utilized the least recently, which helps stop the cache from increasing endlessly.

Linked lists are used by LRU. A list entry is tied to the list head and deleted from the list whenever it is accessed or modified. This indicates that the things at the top of the list have been used more recently than the entries at the bottom. Memcached will remove entries from the bottom of the list if it wants to reuse memory.

Why Memcached Enhances WordPress Performance

When it comes to optimizing your WordPress site’s performance, one of the most effective strategies is to implement caching solutions. Caching can significantly reduce server load and improve page load times, leading to a better user experience and improved SEO rankings.

One popular caching solution is Memcached—a high-performance, distributed memory caching system that can be a game-changer for your WordPress site. 

Here are some key benefits of using Memcached on your WordPress site:

1. Faster Page Load Times

Memcached stores frequently accessed data in your server’s RAM, enabling it to retrieve data much faster than fetching it from the database each time. This reduces the time required to load web pages, as most of the data is pulled directly from memory rather than querying the database repeatedly. 

Faster Page Load Times lead to an overall smoother user experience, lower bounce rates, and increased visitor retention. This is particularly beneficial for sites with high traffic, where database performance can become a bottleneck.

2. Reduced Database Load

WordPress relies heavily on MySQL databases to retrieve and store information such as posts, comments, and user details. 

For high-traffic websites, this can lead to slow response times and even downtime due to database overload. Memcached helps alleviate this problem by caching database query results in RAM. 

With Memcached in place, database read operations decrease significantly, as the data is served from memory instead of the database. This not only speeds up your site but also extends the lifespan of your server hardware by reducing the strain on the database.

3. Scalability and Flexibility

Memcached is a distributed caching system, which means it can be easily scaled horizontally by adding more servers to your caching pool. As your website grows and traffic increases, you can scale your Memcached infrastructure to handle the added load without sacrificing performance. 

This makes it an excellent choice for large-scale WordPress sites or multisite installations that require a flexible and scalable caching solution.

4. Enhanced User Experience and SEO

Website speed is a critical factor in user satisfaction and plays a Significant Role in Search Engine Rankings. By using Memcached, you can ensure that your WordPress site loads faster, providing users with a seamless browsing experience. 

Google considers page load times as part of its ranking algorithm, so improving your site’s speed can lead to better SEO performance and potentially higher rankings in search results. 

A faster website not only helps in retaining users but also improves conversion rates, making it a win-win for site owners.

5: Reduced Latency in Dynamic Content Delivery

Memcached can also speed up the delivery of dynamic content on your WordPress site. For websites that serve a large amount of personalized or user-specific content, retrieving data from the database for each user can introduce latency. 

Memcached reduces this latency by caching the results of complex queries, allowing your site to serve dynamic content faster. 

This is particularly useful for e-commerce websites, social networking sites, and membership-based platforms where user-specific data is accessed frequently.

6. Easy Integration and Compatibility

Memcached can be easily integrated with WordPress through various plugins such as W3 Total Cache and the Memcached Object Cache plugin. These plugins allow you to set up Memcached without requiring extensive technical knowledge. 

Moreover, Memcached is compatible with most web hosting environments, making it a versatile and accessible solution for WordPress site owners looking to optimize performance.

Implementing Memcached on your WordPress site offers numerous benefits, including improved page load times, reduced database load, and enhanced scalability. 

Utilizing this potent caching solution can help you make sure that your website functions at its best even during periods of high traffic, giving your users the best possible experience and realizing the full potential of your website.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Object Caching with WordPress

Object caching stores query results so that future requests can be served more quickly, reducing the number of database queries and improving your website’s performance. 

Here’s how you can set it up in three easy steps:

• Get a Performance Baseline: Measure your site’s speed before implementing object caching.
• Use a Dedicated Plugin: Install a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache or Redis Object Cache.
• Re-Test Your WordPress Website’s Performance: Re-check your site’s speed and analyze any performance improvements made by the caching plugin.

1. Establish a Performance Baseline

Before implementing object caching, it’s crucial to establish a performance baseline for your WordPress site. This helps you gauge how much improvement object caching brings to your website. A performance baseline captures your site’s current load time, server response, and resource usage. 

There are several tools you can use to assess these metrics, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom. Start by testing your homepage, key landing pages, and blog posts.

When using these tools, look for specific metrics like Time to First Byte (TTFB), page load time, and the number of requests. These indicators will give you an overall view of your site’s current speed and identify any performance bottlenecks. 

Note down the results of each test. It’s a good idea to take multiple readings and calculate the average for a more accurate baseline.

To monitor CPU utilization, memory consumption, and query execution times, you should also take into consideration employing server-side monitoring tools such as New Relic or CloudWatch. These observations can help you identify performance problems that object caching can fix.

Object caching, for example, can reduce excessive CPU utilization caused by recurrent database queries by keeping query results in memory for fast retrieval.

Save your performance metrics once you’ve recorded them so you may compare them later. This stage makes sure that, after object caching is put into place, you can measure its effects.

2. Install a Dedicated Caching Plugin

Once you have a performance baseline, the next step is to install a dedicated object caching plugin. Object caching is not enabled by default in WordPress, so using a plugin like W3 Total Cache, Redis Object Cache, or Memcached is essential. 

These plugins store frequently queried data in memory, minimizing database access and accelerating page load times.

To install an object caching plugin, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. Search for an object caching plugin like “Redis Object Cache” or “W3 Total Cache” and click Install Now. 

Once installed, activate the plugin and configure its settings according to your hosting environment. If your server supports Redis or Memcached, you may need to configure these services on your server and link them to your WordPress site.

After installation, the plugin will begin caching database query results and other frequently accessed data. You can monitor the cache hits and misses from the plugin’s dashboard. 

Some plugins offer advanced configurations, such as setting expiration times for cached data or excluding specific pages and posts from being cached. Experiment with these settings to find the optimal configuration for your website.

Using a dedicated plugin makes object caching accessible even if you’re not familiar with server configurations. However, for more advanced caching setups, you might consider working with a developer to ensure compatibility with your theme and other plugins.

3. Re-Test Website Performance After Caching

After enabling object caching, it’s time to re-test your website’s performance to see the impact. Use the same tools and pages you tested during the initial baseline assessment to ensure consistent results. 

Run the performance tests multiple times and take the average of the results to get an accurate representation of your site’s new performance.

Compare the re-test metrics with your baseline. Key metrics to look for include a reduced Time to First Byte (TTFB), faster page load times, and fewer database requests. If you notice significant improvements in these areas, it’s a clear indication that object caching is working effectively.

Additionally, check the object cache hit and miss ratio using your plugin’s dashboard. A higher cache hit ratio means that most of the queries are being served from memory rather than hitting the database, which translates into faster performance. 

To make sure that the caching technique isn’t using up too much RAM and CPU on your server, you should also keep an eye on those stats.

Check the plugin’s configuration settings again if the outcomes aren’t what you intended. Increasing cache lifetimes or turning on persistent caching are two frequent modifications. Conduct the performance tests once more after you’ve adjusted the settings.

Maintaining maximum speed on your website requires regular performance testing and caching settings adjustments, especially as your site expands and you make changes to plugins and content. You can make sure that your WordPress website stays responsive and quick for users by using object caching.

Conclusion: Memcached and Object Caching

Caching is essential for WordPress website optimization. Because it could seem like a technical topic, your hosting company may help you set up sophisticated caching solutions like Memcached on your WordPress website.

The caching system on your hosting server is called Memcached. So, getting in touch with your hosting company is the first step in turning on Memcached. Once Memcached is installed, you can activate and modify this sophisticated caching solution with an optimization plugin.

Your choice of hosting company is just one of many factors that affect how well your website performs. 

Compared to other WordPress web hosting companies, ARZ Host’s dedicated servers can increase page loading times by up to 20X. This will optimize your WordPress Website when combined with caching. 

FAQs Frequently Asked Questions

1: What is Memcached, and how does it work?

Memcached is an open-source, distributed memory caching system designed to enhance the performance of web applications. It works by storing frequently accessed data, such as API calls, database queries, or rendered HTML pages, in RAM. 

When a user requests data, Memcached retrieves it from the cache instead of querying the database, resulting in faster response times. This system helps reduce database load and improves overall application performance.

2: How does Memcached improve website performance?

Memcached boosts website performance by reducing the time required to retrieve and process data. Instead of repeatedly fetching data from a slower database, Memcached serves stored data directly from memory. 

This leads to lower latency, faster page load times, and a better user experience, especially for content-heavy websites or applications with high traffic volumes.

3: Can Memcached reduce server load and costs?

Yes, Memcached may significantly decrease operating expenses and server burden. Memcached reduces the need for repetitive database queries by keeping frequently requested data in memory, which lowers CPU consumption and lightens the strain on database servers. 

You can handle more user requests with less server resources thanks to this efficiency, which eventually lowers infrastructure costs through improved resource allocation.

4: What type of data is best stored in Memcached?

Memcached is ideal for storing transient, frequently accessed data that does not require persistence. Examples include session data, rendered HTML pages, API responses, and search results. 

However, it’s not suitable for storing permanent data, such as user accounts or transaction histories, since the cached data is not saved to disk and is lost if the server restarts or crashes.

5: Is Memcached suitable for all types of web applications?

Memcached is highly effective for applications with high read-to-write ratios and data that can be easily regenerated if lost, such as e-commerce websites, social media platforms, and content management systems. 

However, it might not be the best fit for applications requiring data persistence, complex querying, or those that do not benefit from caching mechanisms due to low data reusability.

6: How do you integrate Memcached into a web application?

Using a client library that is compatible with your programming language (e.g., PHP, Python, Java) and installing the Memcached server on the host computer are the prerequisites for integrating Memcached into a web application. 

The client and Memcached server are then connected, and you can use it to save, retrieve, and remove data from the cache. Memcached has been integrated into frameworks like Django and Laravel, which makes integration easier.

7: What are the limitations and considerations of using Memcached?

Memcached has limitations even though it provides many performance advantages. For example, it doesn’t enable data persistence, therefore in the event that the server crashes, all cached data is destroyed. 

Also, native data replication and fault tolerance are not offered by Memcached. Plan your caching approach, establish a suitable cache eviction policy, and, if you need more sophisticated capabilities like replication or persistence, think about merging Memcached with additional programs like Radis.

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