Multi-Layer Caching: CDN vs App-Layer vs DB-Layer
Design end-to-end caching across the stack: Edge CDN, API Gateway, Application Heap, Redis, and Database Buffer Pools.
01.1. The Defense-in-Depth Caching Philosophy
Large-scale distributed systems serving hundreds of millions of users never rely on a single caching layer. Instead, they implement a Hierarchical Multi-Layer Caching Stack (Defense-in-Depth).
Each successive layer acts as a high-speed traffic filter that intercepts and absorbs queries:
- If Layer 1 absorbs
50\%of traffic, Layer 2 absorbs80\%of the remainder, and Layer 4 absorbs95\%of what is left, less than0.05\%of total client requests ever penetrate to physical database disk I/O. - This progressive filtering enables companies like Reddit, YouTube, and Netflix to serve global traffic with surprisingly lean backend database footprints.
The 5-Layer End-to-End Caching Stack 🏢
The 5-Layer End-to-End Caching Stack 🏢
Hierarchical layers filtering traffic before it reaches persistent disk.
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