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Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs · Lesson

The Spring Cache Abstraction

Cache method results with annotations.

The Spring Cache Abstraction is a free Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Caching

Caching stores the result of expensive operations so repeated calls return instantly from memory instead of recomputing or re-querying.

  • Lower latency
  • Less database load
  • Better throughput

The Cache Abstraction

Spring provides a cache abstraction — a uniform API over many backends (in-memory, Redis, Caffeine). You annotate methods; Spring handles the storage.

Enabling Caching

Add @EnableCaching to a configuration class to turn on annotation processing.

@Configuration
@EnableCaching
public class CacheConfig {
}

The CacheManager

A CacheManager owns the named caches. Spring Boot auto-configures one based on what is on the classpath.

@Autowired
CacheManager cacheManager;

Cache productCache = cacheManager.getCache("products");

Default In-Memory Cache

With no cache library on the classpath, Spring Boot uses a simple ConcurrentMapCacheManager backed by a map.

Named Caches

Each cached method targets a named cache. Names let you tune and clear caches independently.

@Cacheable("products")
public Product findById(Long id) {
    return repository.findById(id).orElseThrow();
}

How a Cache Hit Works

On call, Spring builds a key, checks the cache: if present (a hit), it returns the stored value and skips the method body. On a miss, it runs the method and stores the result.

Cache Keys

By default the key is derived from the method arguments. You can override it with a SpEL expression.

@Cacheable(value = "products", key = "#id")
public Product findById(Long id) { ... }

Choosing a Provider

Add a library to switch backends automatically: Caffeine for fast local caching, Redis for a shared distributed cache.

// build.gradle for Caffeine
implementation "com.github.ben-manes.caffeine:caffeine"

Configuring Caffeine

Caffeine supports size limits and expiry via properties.

# application.properties
spring.cache.cache-names=products
spring.cache.caffeine.spec=maximumSize=500,expireAfterWrite=600s

When Not to Cache

Caching suits read-heavy, slow-changing data. Avoid it for rapidly changing values or when stale reads are unacceptable without proper eviction.

Quick Check

Test your understanding of the cache abstraction.

Recap

You learned the cache abstraction:

  • @EnableCaching turns the feature on
  • A CacheManager owns named caches
  • Default backend is an in-memory ConcurrentMap
  • Swap to Caffeine or Redis by adding the library

Frequently asked questions

Is the “The Spring Cache Abstraction” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “The Spring Cache Abstraction” is free to read here on the web, and the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “The Spring Cache Abstraction”?

Cache method results with annotations. You practise Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs?

No prior experience is required. Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “The Spring Cache Abstraction” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson?

Yes. Every Spring Boot 4 Microservices & REST APIs lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. The Spring Cache Abstraction
  2. @Cacheable, @CachePut, @CacheEvict
  3. Redis as a Cache Provider
  4. Cache TTL and Invalidation
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