JCache

JCache, officially the Java Caching API, is a vendor-neutral specification for caching in Java applications. Defined as JSR 107, it provides a standard API that allows applications to interact with different caching providers through a uniform programming model, enabling caches to be swapped or configured without changing business logic.

At the core of JCache are conceptually simple building blocks. A Cache<K, V> stores key-value pairs, while a CacheManager is responsible for creating and configuring caches. Applications interact with caches via standard operations such as get, put, and remove. Caches can be configured programmatically through MutableConfiguration or via external configuration, and they can be managed by a caching provider at runtime.

JCache supports several features intended for enterprise use. Read-through and write-through caching can be implemented using CacheLoader and CacheWriter, allowing the cache to fetch data from or write data to an underlying data store automatically. Expiry policies control how long entries live in the cache and can be customized for creation, access, and update events. The API also supports event listeners for cache lifecycle events, as well as configuration for eviction and statistics, depending on the provider’s capabilities.

The API is designed to be implemented by multiple caching providers, such as Ehcache, Infinispan, Hazelcast, and Apache Ignite. An application that uses JCache obtains a CacheManager from the caching provider and then retrieves or creates Cache<K, V> instances to store and retrieve data. This separation of API and implementation enables portable caching strategies across different environments and runtimes while maintaining a consistent programming model.