Skip to main content
PHP Blog

Back to all posts

How Does Memcache Store Data?

Published on
4 min read
How Does Memcache Store Data? image

Best Caching Solutions to Buy in November 2025

1 Programming Pearls

Programming Pearls

BUY & SAVE
$27.34 $44.99
Save 39%
Programming Pearls
2 Unix Systems for Modern Architectures: Symmetric Multiprocessing and Caching for Kernel Programmers

Unix Systems for Modern Architectures: Symmetric Multiprocessing and Caching for Kernel Programmers

BUY & SAVE
$75.00
Unix Systems for Modern Architectures: Symmetric Multiprocessing and Caching for Kernel Programmers
3 Laravel: Up & Running: A Framework for Building Modern PHP Apps

Laravel: Up & Running: A Framework for Building Modern PHP Apps

BUY & SAVE
$38.59 $59.99
Save 36%
Laravel: Up & Running: A Framework for Building Modern PHP Apps
4 Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache – Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000DM008/ST2000DMZ08)

Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache – Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000DM008/ST2000DMZ08)

  • MIGRATE DATA EFFORTLESSLY WITH FREE SEAGATE DISCWIZARD SOFTWARE.
  • EXPERIENCE FAST, RELIABLE STORAGE WITH BARRACUDA INTERNAL HARD DRIVES.
  • VERSATILE CAPACITIES FOR GAMING, VIDEO EDITING, AND MULTIMEDIA NEEDS.
BUY & SAVE
$64.99
Seagate BarraCuda 2TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 7200 RPM 256MB Cache – Frustration Free Packaging (ST2000DM008/ST2000DMZ08)
5 Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch Sata 6 Gb/s 5400 RPM 256MB Cache For Computer Desktop PC – Frustration Free Packaging ST4000DMZ04/DM004

Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch Sata 6 Gb/s 5400 RPM 256MB Cache For Computer Desktop PC – Frustration Free Packaging ST4000DMZ04/DM004

  • STORE MORE DATA CONFIDENTLY WITH PROVEN BARRACUDA RELIABILITY.
  • ENHANCE GAMING SETUPS WITH VERSATILE CAPACITIES AND FORM FACTORS.
  • EASILY MIGRATE DATA USING FREE SEAGATE DISCWIZARD SOFTWARE.
BUY & SAVE
$84.99 $89.99
Save 6%
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch Sata 6 Gb/s 5400 RPM 256MB Cache For Computer Desktop PC – Frustration Free Packaging ST4000DMZ04/DM004
6 Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core

Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core

BUY & SAVE
$52.19 $59.99
Save 13%
Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core
7 TEAMGROUP T-Force G50 1TB SLC Caching 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 Gaming SSD with Ultra-Thin Graphene Heat Spreader Works with PS5 Read/Write 5000/4800 MB/s TM8FFE001T0C129

TEAMGROUP T-Force G50 1TB SLC Caching 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 Gaming SSD with Ultra-Thin Graphene Heat Spreader Works with PS5 Read/Write 5000/4800 MB/s TM8FFE001T0C129

  • VERSATILE CACHING SYSTEMS TAILORED TO MEET DIVERSE USER NEEDS.
  • ULTRA-THIN GRAPHENE HEAT-SINK FOR EFFORTLESS INSTALLATIONS.
  • ENHANCED RELIABILITY AND LONGEVITY WITH OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE.
BUY & SAVE
$69.99
TEAMGROUP T-Force G50 1TB SLC Caching 3D TLC NAND NVMe InnoGrit PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 Gaming SSD with Ultra-Thin Graphene Heat Spreader Works with PS5 Read/Write 5000/4800 MB/s TM8FFE001T0C129
8 Data Virtualization for Business Intelligence Systems: Revolutionizing Data Integration for Data Warehouses (Morgan Kaufmann Series on Business Intelligence)

Data Virtualization for Business Intelligence Systems: Revolutionizing Data Integration for Data Warehouses (Morgan Kaufmann Series on Business Intelligence)

  • AFFORDABLE PRICES MAKE QUALITY READING ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
  • EACH BOOK CAREFULLY INSPECTED FOR GOOD CONDITION AND RELIABILITY.
  • ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICE: PROMOTE RECYCLING THROUGH USED BOOK PURCHASES.
BUY & SAVE
$13.47 $59.95
Save 78%
Data Virtualization for Business Intelligence Systems: Revolutionizing Data Integration for Data Warehouses (Morgan Kaufmann Series on Business Intelligence)
9 Seagate BarraCuda 8 TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6 Gb/s, 5,400 RPM, 256 MB Cache for Computer Desktop PC (ST8000DMZ04/004)

Seagate BarraCuda 8 TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6 Gb/s, 5,400 RPM, 256 MB Cache for Computer Desktop PC (ST8000DMZ04/004)

  • STORE MORE DATA AND COMPUTE FASTER WITH RELIABLE BARRACUDA DRIVES.
  • VERSATILE CAPACITIES AND SIZES FOR ANY GAMING OR DESKTOP SETUP.
  • 20 YEARS OF INNOVATION ENSURES TRUSTED PERFORMANCE FOR ALL PC APPS.
BUY & SAVE
$134.99
Seagate BarraCuda 8 TB Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6 Gb/s, 5,400 RPM, 256 MB Cache for Computer Desktop PC (ST8000DMZ04/004)
+
ONE MORE?

Memcache stores data in key-value pairs. When a piece of data is stored in memcache, it is given a unique key that is used to retrieve the data later. The data is stored in the server's memory, which allows for faster access times compared to traditional storage methods like disk-based databases.

When a client wants to store data in memcache, it sends a request to the memcache server with the key-value pair. The server then stores the data in its memory and associates it with the specified key. When the client wants to retrieve the data, it sends a request to the server with the key, and the server returns the corresponding value.

Memcache uses a hashing algorithm to determine which server to store the data on, which allows for efficient distribution of data across multiple servers in a distributed memcache setup. Additionally, memcache employs a least recently used (LRU) eviction policy to determine which data should be removed from the cache when it reaches its memory limit.

In summary, memcache stores data in memory using key-value pairs, which can be quickly retrieved by clients when needed.

What is the difference between memcache and Memcached?

Memcache and Memcached are both used for caching data in memory to improve performance of applications, but they are not the same.

Memcache is a simple, in-memory key-value store that is often used to cache data in web applications. It is a protocol that defines the communication between client and server, and it is commonly used with programming languages like PHP and Python.

Memcached, on the other hand, is a high-performance, distributed memory object caching system. It is a separate software package that extends the capabilities of Memcache by allowing for distributed caching across multiple servers. Memcached is often used in large-scale applications to improve scalability and reliability.

In summary, Memcache is a simple key-value store and protocol, while Memcached is a more advanced distributed caching system that builds on the capabilities of Memcache.

How does memcache handle cache misses?

When a cache miss occurs in Memcache, the system will not be able to retrieve the data from the cache and will need to access the actual data source or database to retrieve the requested information. This will result in a longer response time compared to accessing the data from the cache.

After retrieving the data from the data source, Memcache will store the data in the cache for future access. This helps to minimize the chances of cache misses occurring again for the same data. Additionally, Memcache also implements caching strategies such as eviction policies to determine which data should be removed from the cache when it reaches its capacity limit.

What is memcache?

Memcache is a distributed memory caching system used to speed up dynamic database-driven websites by caching data and objects in memory to reduce the number of times database requests need to be made. It is commonly used to store data that is frequently accessed, such as database queries, API responses, or HTML fragments, in memory for faster retrieval. Memcache can help improve the performance and scalability of web applications by reducing the load on the database and speeding up page load times.

How does memcache handle data consistency?

Memcache does not handle data consistency on its own. It is a distributed caching system that is designed for high performance and scalability, but it does not provide features for ensuring data consistency across multiple servers or clients.

Developers are responsible for implementing their own data consistency mechanisms when using Memcache, such as using a write-through or write-behind caching strategy, or by using a separate data store that ensures data consistency, such as a database.

It is important for developers to be aware of the limitations of Memcache in terms of data consistency and design their applications accordingly to handle any potential inconsistencies that may arise.