ASP.NET Core  

Hybrid Cache & Output Caching in .NET: A Game Changer for High-Performance Applications

Introduction

Modern applications are expected to be fast, scalable, and cost-efficient. Users don’t care how complex your backend is they expect responses in milliseconds.
This is where Hybrid Caching and Output Caching enhancements in ASP.NET Core (.NET 10 era) become a game changer.

Instead of repeatedly hitting databases or external services, caching allows applications to reuse previously computed results, dramatically improving performance and reliability.

Hybrid Cache vs Treditional Cache

What is Hybrid Cache?

Hybrid Cache is a caching approach that combines:

  • In-Memory Cache (fast, per-instance)

  • Distributed Cache (shared across instances, e.g., Redis)

In simple terms:

Hybrid Cache gives you the speed of memory caching and the consistency of distributed caching in one unified approach.

Before Hybrid Cache

Developers had to:

  • Write separate logic for IMemoryCache

  • Handle Redis or SQL cache manually

  • Deal with cache sync, fallback, and failures

With Hybrid Cache

  • One API

  • Automatic fallback

  • Built-in resilience

  • Cleaner code

What Is Output Caching?

Output Caching stores the entire HTTP response of an API or web page.

Instead of:

  • Running controller logic

  • Querying the database

  • Mapping objects

ASP.NET Core can:

  • Return a cached response instantly

Example

If 10,000 users request the same product list:

  • Without caching → 10,000 DB calls

  • With output caching → 1 DB call, 9,999 cached responses

Why Hybrid Cache & Output Caching Matter

🚀 Performance

  • Faster response times

  • Reduced database load

💰 Cost Savings

  • Fewer database reads

  • Lower cloud resource usage

📈 Scalability

  • Handles traffic spikes smoothly

  • Ideal for cloud & microservices

🛡️ Resilience

  • Distributed cache fallback

  • Graceful degradation during failures

Real Life Example: E-Commerce Application

Scenario

You are building an e-commerce platform.

  • Product catalog changes once per day

  • Thousands of users browse products every hour

  • Product list API is called repeatedly

Without Caching

Every request:

  1. Hits database

  2. Applies filters

  3. Maps objects

  4. Returns response

With Hybrid + Output Caching

  1. First request generates response

  2. Response stored in cache

  3. Next requests served instantly

Result:

  • API response time drops from 300ms → 20ms

  • Database load reduced by 90%

Where Should You Use It?

✅ Best Use Cases

  • Product catalogs

  • Configuration data

  • Reference/master data

  • Public APIs

  • Dashboard statistics

  • Read-heavy endpoints

❌ Avoid Using It When

  • Data changes every second

  • Highly personalized responses

  • Financial transactions

  • Real-time systems

When Should You Use It?

Use caching when:

  • Read operations >> Write operations

  • Same data requested repeatedly

  • Performance is critical

  • Application is running in multiple instances

How to Use Output Caching (Conceptual Example)

Example: Product API

app.MapGet("/products", async (IProductService service) =>
{
    return await service.GetProductsAsync();
})
.CacheOutput(policy => policy.Expire(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5)));

What Happens?

  • First request → executes logic

  • Next requests (5 mins) → cached response

  • Zero DB calls during cache lifetime

How Hybrid Cache Works (Conceptually)

var product = await hybridCache.GetOrCreateAsync(
    $"product_{id}",
    async () => await repository.GetProductAsync(id),
    options => options.Expiration = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10)
);

Behind the scenes:

  1. Checks in-memory cache

  2. If not found → checks distributed cache

  3. If not found → fetches from DB

  4. Stores result in both caches

Hybrid Cache vs Traditional Caching

FeatureTraditionalHybrid Cache
Multiple cache layers❌ Manual✅ Built-in
Fallback handling❌ Complex✅ Automatic
Code simplicity❌ Verbose✅ Clean
Cloud-ready⚠️ Partial✅ Yes

Best Practices

✔ Set appropriate expiration times
✔ Use output caching for read-only APIs
✔ Avoid caching sensitive user data
✔ Monitor cache hit/miss ratio
✔ Combine with rate limiting & resilience

Final Thoughts

Hybrid Cache & Output Caching in .NET represent a shift from “optional optimization” to “default architecture choice.”

They:

  • Simplify caching logic

  • Improve performance instantly

  • Make apps cloud-ready

  • Reduce operational costs

If you’re building modern ASP.NET Core applications, caching is no longer optional, it’s essential.

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