Implementing Caching In Web API

Debendra Dash

11 Comments

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Ganesh Gadekar3y ago
How caching ensure that we will get updated information suppose some one has changes data in back ground before cache expire and next get will get cached information and not updated one
Dominik Cebula4y ago
Recently I was thinking about using some REST API Cache techniques to Optimize Hybrid Cloud REST API Integrations. I have come-up with an idea that I have described on the following website https://rest-api-cache.com/ I have some prototype in mind and I am trying to check if there would be interest in the product like this. Not sure if this is a problem that many people have. I would love to hear your opinion.
jubula samal5y ago
Excellent article. keep it up
Prakash Tripathi7y ago
It's good however can you update the arActionFilterAttributeticle or create a new one to use it in the api core?
R Kumar8y ago
I dont think, Web API supports response caching like MVC Output caching https://rajeevdotnet.blogspot.com/2018/05/aspnet-web-api-caching.html
neeraj gupta8y ago
Totally wrong implementation even the code that he written not compiling even, he decorated the method with async which will not even compile without await.
Prosper Nlooto8y ago
Great tutorial. Very helpful
ashes9y ago
Totally wrong implementation . This adds only a custom header to the output response and doesnt cache anything . Where is your OnActionExecuting method implementation where the actual caching would take place .
Manas Mohapatra10y ago
Thanks, helpful one..
Prasanna Murali10y ago
Nice share
kalu singh rao10y ago
Excellent

CACHING

Caching is a technique of storing frequently used data or information in a local memory, for a certain time period. So, next time, when the client requests the same information, instead of retrieving the information from the database, it will give the information from the local memory. The main advantage of caching is that it improves the performance by reducing the processing burden.

Here, in this article, I will explain how to use caching in web API to improve its performance, by decreasing the response time. Here, I have created a web API project. I have a "DataController" and "GetData" action Method, as per the following.

[AllowAnonymous]
[Route("GetData")]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> getData()
{
Dictionary<object, object> obj = new Dictionary<object, object>();
obj.Add("1", "Punjab");
obj.Add("2", "Assam");
obj.Add("3", "UP");
obj.Add("4", "AP");
obj.Add("5", "J&K");
obj.Add("6", "Odisha");
obj.Add("7", "Delhi");
obj.Add("9", "Karnataka");
obj.Add("10", "Bangalore");
obj.Add("21", "Rajesthan");
obj.Add("31", "Jharkhand");
obj.Add("41", "chennai");
obj.Add("51", "jammu");
obj.Add("61", "Bhubaneshwar");
obj.Add("71", "Delhi");
obj.Add("19", "Karnataka");
return Ok(obj);
}

Now, I will request the method from my PostMan Client, as shown below:

Now, if you check the Header section, you will get no-cache.

We can see that it takes around 2449 miliseconds as my response time.

Now, we will use caching and see how we can reduce the response time of this request. For this, we have to create a custom filter. Just add a new class and rename it, as shown in the image below.

Now, inherit this class from "ActionFilterAttribute" .

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Http.Filters;
namespace Caching_In_API
{
public class CacheFilter : ActionFilterAttribute
{
public int TimeDuration { get; set; }
public override void OnActionExecuted(HttpActionExecutedContext actionExecutedContext)
{
actionExecutedContext.Response.Headers.CacheControl = new CacheControlHeaderValue
{
MaxAge = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(TimeDuration),
MustRevalidate = true,
Public = true
};
}
}
}

Now, add the TimeDuration attribute in the required controller, as follows.

Here is my complete action method.

[AllowAnonymous]
[Route("GetData")]
[CacheFilter(TimeDuration=100)]
public async Task<IHttpActionResult> getData()
{
Dictionary<object, object> obj = new Dictionary<object, object>();
obj.Add("1", "Punjab");
obj.Add("2", "Assam");
obj.Add("3", "UP");
obj.Add("4", "AP");
obj.Add("5", "J&K");
obj.Add("6", "Odisha");
obj.Add("7", "Delhi");
obj.Add("9", "Karnataka");
obj.Add("10", "Bangalore");
obj.Add("21", "Rajesthan");
obj.Add("31", "Jharkhand");
obj.Add("41", "chennai");
obj.Add("51", "jammu");
obj.Add("61", "Bhubaneshwar");
obj.Add("71", "Delhi");
obj.Add("19", "Karnataka");
return Ok(obj);
}

Now, run the application. On the first time, it will retrieve the data from the database. Later, it shows the information from local memory. Next, we see that the response time has decreased.

Now, if we check the header portion, we will see that the caching has been applied on it.

Thus, in this way, we can create a custom cache filter and apply it on the action method, in web API.