Cache Eviction Policies

Caches have limited space. When they get full, and new data needs to be stored, some old data must be removed. This process is called cache eviction. Eviction policies are rules that decide which item to remove.

Choosing the right policy is crucial for maintaining a high cache hit rate, which means finding data in the cache more often, improving performance.

The First-In, First-Out (FIFO) policy is the simplest eviction strategy. It removes the item that has been in the cache the longest, regardless of how often it's been accessed. Think of it like a queue: the first item to enter is the first to leave.

• Simple to implement: Easy to understand and manage.
• Not always efficient: Might evict frequently used items if they were added early.