PHP › Caching Strategies in PHP
How should a team design a comprehensive multi layer caching strategy for a high traffic PHP application, combining OPcache, application level caching, and a CDN?
AdvancedAnswer
A comprehensive multi layer strategy typically starts with OPcache to cache compiled PHP bytecode and eliminate repeated parsing overhead on every request, adds application level caching using Redis for expensive database queries and computed data, uses full page or fragment caching for content that changes infrequently, and places a content delivery network in front of the application to cache static assets and even entire cacheable pages at edge locations closer to users, together compounding to significantly reduce both server load and response times at every layer of the request lifecycle.
// Layered caching approach
// 1. OPcache: compiled PHP bytecode
// 2. Redis: expensive query results
// 3. CDN: static assets and cacheable pagesReal-world example A high traffic media website layers OPcache for PHP execution speed, Redis for caching expensive article recommendation queries, and a CDN for serving images and infrequently changing article pages, together handling far more traffic on the same server infrastructure than any single caching layer could achieve alone.