Amazon Web Services announces a new product, Amazon ElastiCache – which is basically usingMemcached server – a scalable distributed in-memory cache server for cloud hosting services such as Amazon EC2. Check out Amazon AWS blog for further details on Amazon ElastiCache. Amazon ElastiCache FAQ is here.
ElastiCache feature set resembles more closely to the more developed version of Memcached called Membase – minus the Membase clustering, replication and virtual node support ? ElastiCache will probably help lower the Amazon EC2 memory requirements for each EC2 based web server, if you separate memcached server to it’s own Amazon ElastiCache instance ?
Memcached servers can be very useful for vBulletin usage where off loading vBulletin datastore and other database queries to Memcached server dramatically reduce MySQL database server load – in some cases saving up to 3,500 queries/second!
Unfortunately, looks like you can only pair Amazon ElastiCache instances with Amazon EC2 and not with non-EC2 web servers hosted outside of Amazon AWS’s network as explained in their FAQ.
Amazon ElastiCache is a web service that makes it easy to deploy, operate, and scale an in-memory cache in the cloud. The service improves the performance of web applications by allowing you to retrieve information from a fast, managed, in-memory caching system, instead of relying entirely on slower disk-based databases. Amazon ElastiCache is protocol-compliant with Memcached, a widely adopted memory object caching system, so code, applications, and popular tools that you use today with existing Memcached environments will work seamlessly with the service.
Amazon ElastiCache simplifies and offloads the management, monitoring, and operation of in-memory cache environments, enabling you to focus on the differentiating parts of your applications. Play the video below for a quick overview of the service and to learn how to get started.
Features
- Pre-configured Parameters – Amazon ElastiCache Nodes are pre-configured with a sensible set of parameters and settings appropriate for the Node Type you have selected. You can simply launch a Memcached Cluster and connect your application within minutes without additional configuration. If you desire additional control, you can achieve it via Cache Parameter Groups.
- Automatic failure detection and recovery – Amazon ElastiCache monitors the health of your Cache Clusters and automatically replaces your Cache Nodes in the event of network partitioning, host hardware or software failure. The replaced Cache Nodes are designed to have the same DNS name as the failed Cache Nodes, avoiding the need for client-side refresh of end-point lists.
- Detailed Monitoring and Metrics – Amazon ElastiCache provides detailed Amazon CloudWatch metrics for your Memcached deployments at no additional charge. You can use the AWS Management Console to view key operational metrics for your Cache Nodes, including memory/compute capacity utilization, cache hits, cache misses, and number of cache connections.
- Automatic Software Patching – Amazon ElastiCache updates the cache software powering your deployment with the latest patches. You can control when and if your Cache Clusters are patched viaCache Engine Version Management.
- Push-Button Scaling – Using a few clicks of the AWS Management Console or a simple API call, you can scale the memory resources powering your deployment in minutes by adding or deleting Cache Nodes. Auto Discovery enables automatic discovery of Cache Nodes by ElastiCache Clients when the Cache Nodes in your deployment change.