caching

Caching in ASP.NET Core reduces database load by serving frequent requests from in-process and distributed layers. You can use the HybridCache abstraction with GetOrCreate patterns to retrieve data quickly and apply explicit TTLs for freshness.

HybridCache stampede protection prevents cache misses from overwhelming your database on frequently read endpoints. It synchronizes concurrent requests for the same key, ensuring only one fetch populates the cache while others wait for the result.

Yes, you can use Redis as an L2 distributed cache in modern .NET applications. It functions as an optional secondary layer alongside the in-memory L1 cache, providing scalability and shared state across multiple application instances.

The best way to invalidate cached data on mutations in ASP.NET Core is through deterministic invalidation. You can clear cached data on writes by calling RemoveAsync or using structured invalidation hooks to maintain data consistency.

Yes, ASP.NET Core output caching supports per-endpoint invalidation. It provides specific invalidation hooks that allow you to clear cached responses for individual endpoints, ensuring consistency when underlying data changes.

You should not use read-through caching for per-item lookups when data mutates frequently or requires strict real-time consistency. If the cache invalidation overhead exceeds the database fetch cost, caching provides no performance benefit.