O caching de sítios Web é o processo em que as informações de um sítio Web são temporariamente armazenadas no disco ou na memória para acelerar a recuperação futura dessas informações pelos utilizadores. Isto melhora o desempenho do sítio Web, reduzindo o tráfego de rede e a carga do servidor, uma vez que o retorno de informações armazenadas em cache, como imagens, vídeos e ficheiros, pode ser mais rápido do que o acesso a partir da fonte original. Os métodos populares de armazenamento em cache incluem o armazenamento em cache na memória, as redes de distribuição de conteúdos (CDN) e o armazenamento em cache no browser, que podem aumentar significativamente o desempenho do conteúdo frequentemente acedido num sítio Web.
Website caching is an important technique for improving the load times and overall performance of a website. Caching involves storing website files, like HTML pages, images, and other media, on the user's computer or on intermediate cache servers so that they don't have to be re-downloaded each time the user accesses that page. This can significantly speed up page load times since fetching files from the cache is much faster than having to retrieve them from the original web server.
There are different types of caching that can be implemented. Browser caching stores files in the browser itself for a certain period of time. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) have networks of cache servers distributed geographically to cache files closer to website visitors. Reverse proxy caching serves cached pages stored on a server closer to the user. The overarching goal of all these caching mechanisms is to reduce latency and server load.
Implementing an effective caching setup should be a priority for website owners and developers looking to scale their infrastructure efficiently. The performance gains from even basic caching methods can be substantial, resulting in faster website response times, better user experience, and lower hosting costs. Setting appropriate cache expiration times and cache clearing policies helps strike a balance between freshness of content and speed of delivery. Overall, mastering website caching best practices is key for smooth and snappy website performance.
