Changes in platform 6.0
In the new Telligent Evolution version, the caching system underwent a large redesign. Previous versions outgrew their effectiveness and new code needed to be written to handle the shortcomings. Features such as proper distributed caching support, easier debugging, and configurable runtime adjustments were added to create a simple yet powerful cache framework.
For more information about the new concepts in caching, see Caching overview and concepts.
Caching in a web farm
One area of change in is the use of default timeouts. When an object is placed into cache without an explicit timeout, the current default value is used. This value can be adjusted to suit the needs of a specific site. If left unmodified, the value is 1 minute and 40 seconds.
Default timeouts are used extensively throughout Evolution to provide a simple mechanism to adjust cache tolerance. On sites running on just one server, this is a fine setting as stale cache items are evicted during site operations because all cache is local to the server (and thus updated real-time). On sites running in a web farm, this value may be too high and can be adjusted.
To see more information about default timeouts and other concepts, see the Default timeouts and cache factor section in the Caching overview and concepts documentation.
To update these and other settings, see the <overrides> node in the Caching configuration documentation.
Distributed caching support
Included in Telligent Evolution's new caching system is a built-in provider for consuming AppFabric distributed caches. This new provider can be used to reduce database pressure and improve overall performance.
For more information on using AppFabric in your site, see Install, configure, and enable AppFabric caching.