Is it possible to use Infinispan as a blocking cache? - java

In our project we are using Infinispan and Spring's #Cacheable annotation, mainly for caching I/O results.
As we have many concurrent calls, we would like to avoid 2 threads performing the same data retrieval twice, hence having the second #Cacheable method call (with the same cache key) blocked until the first one finishes and returns a result.
I am used to Ehcache's SelfPopulatingCache which supports this automatically, but is there a similar feature in Infinispan?
Ideally this should be used via Spring's #Cacheable so that we avoid boilerplate code. I have noticed that Spring 4.3 now has #Cacheable.sync() but it is indicated that it is only a hint and it depends on the underlying cache provider implementation. Also, we are not on Spring 4.3 yet so a solution for 4.2 would be better.

If you want that feature out-of-the-box you'll have to upgrade to 4.3. If you are using 4.2, upgrading to 4.3 should be painless anyway (if that's not the case, let us know!)
As Ben already mentioned, you can use the JCache bridge that has explicit support for such a call (i.e. it will work for any JSR-107 compliant cache library). Infinispan does not have such native feature yet, I've just submitted a feature request in their tracker.

Related

Will Spring Cache cause memory leak issue?

I am trying to use Spring Cache (#Cacheable annotation) on method level in the Spring Boot Application, but unlike other google guava cache, I have no idea if Spring Cache will cause a memory leak issue. Because it didn't have a size limitation or refresh policy, where and how long would the data be stored in the application? I assume it'd be memory, but will Spring itself clear it automatically? If not, when there might be millions of requests coming in hitting the application, will that trigger a memory leak issue?
My use case is that I have a heavy method per request, and I would like to only execute that method one time during my current request, after the request is done there is no need to keep the data in Cache, but how would I ensure my Spring Cache would be cleared after each request? I know there is a evict action, however, what if my request errors out before hitting my cache evict method so that it returns 500 directly, that means my last request data would always sit in the cache memory, with more and more requests like that which might cause a memory leak, correct?
In Spring application, Perhaps you can disable the cache by :
spring.cache.type=NONE
The type of cache is by default automatically detected and configured. However you can specify which cache type to use by adding spring.cache.type to your configuration. To disable it set the value to NONE.
As you want to do it for a specific profile add it to that profiles application.properties in this case modify the application-dev.properties and add
spring.cache.type=NONE
This will disable caching.
This will disable caching.
The Spring Framework's caching support and infrastructure, whether consumed through declarative annotation-based caching and demarcation of Spring application components (using either Spring Annotations, e.g. #Cacheable, or with JSR-107, JCache Annotations), or by using Spring's Cache API directly (not common), is simply an "abstraction", hence the Spring Cache Abstraction. There is NO underlying caching provider (implementation of this SPI), by default.
Of course, if you are using Spring Boot (on top of, or to consume the core Spring Framework), and you do not configure an explicit caching provider (see here), such as Redis, then by default, Spring Boot will configure and provide your Spring Boot application with a ConcurrentHashMap caching provider implementation (see here).
When the documentation states:
This is the default if no caching library is present in your application.
It means when no caching library, like Redis (using Spring Data Redis, for instance), is detected on your Spring Boot application classpath.
In general, however, it is a good practice to choose an underlying caching provider implementation, such as Redis, or in your case, Google Guava, which is possible to position as a caching provider implementation in Spring's Cache Abstraction (see here, for example).
Given the Spring Framework's Cache Abstraction is simply a Facade with an caching API/SPI common to multiple caching provider implementations, effectively providing the lowest common denominator for caching functionality (e.g. put, get, evict, invalidate) across caching providers, then to your question, there is no cause of memory leak originating from Spring's "Cache", which really is not even a thing anyway. It is technically the provider implementation's "cache", like Google Guave, Redis, Hazelcast, Apache Geode (VMW GemFire), etc, that would actually be the cause of a memory leak if a leak existed in your application in the first place.
In other words, if there is any memory leak, then it originates with the caching provider.
You should refer to your caching provider's documentation on configuring critical aspects of the cache, such as memory management, that are explicitly stated to be beyond the control of the Spring Framework's Cache Abstraction.
The reason these aspects are beyond the control of the core Spring Framework is simply because the configuration of these low-level cache features (e.g. memory management) is usually very provider specific and varies widely from 1 provider to the next, especially with respect to the capabilities and features.
I hopes this explanation gives you clarity on the position of the Cache Abstraction provided by Spring and its responsibilities.
By adhering to the abstraction then it effectively makes it easier to switch between caching providers if your application requirements, UC or SLAs change.
You can still specify what cache you want. For instance you can use Caffeine which
"... provides an in-memory cache using a Google Guava inspired API"
And you can still configure it for instance for a maximumSize
spring:
cache:
cache-names: instruments, directory
caffeine:
spec: maximumSize=500, expireAfterAccess=30s
To enable it you just have to add the dependency and add the #EnableCaching in a config class (and add #Cacheable of course in your method)
See:
https://github.com/ben-manes/caffeine/
https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/reference/html/integration.html#cache-store-configuration-caffeine
https://memorynotfound.com/spring-boot-caffeine-caching-example-configuration/
https://www.baeldung.com/spring-boot-caffeine-cache

What is the difference between getHibernateTemplate().flush() and getSession().flush()

I am using Hibernate 3.2.6. And I am facing exception
save the transient instance before flushing
In my code sometimes we are using getSession().flush() and sometime we are using getHibernateTemplate().flush() in one transaction.
Could you please tell me what is the difference between those two?
HibernateTemplate is deprecated Spring code, from the days before Spring moved to annotations as the preferred method for transaction management. It is not a part of Hibernate itself. The template code abstracted away the mechanics of creating, committing, and rolling back transactions, allowing the developer to focus solely on their business logic. HibernateTemplate is now considered superfluous by the Spring community, and has been completely removed in Spring's support for Hibernate 4.
From the official documentation:
NOTE: As of Hibernate 3.0.1, transactional Hibernate access code can also be coded in plain Hibernate style. Hence, for newly started projects, consider adopting the standard Hibernate3 style of coding data access objects instead, based on SessionFactory.getCurrentSession().
Your code is likely a mishmash of legacy code and mixed approaches amongst developers during the transition.

how to use another implementation for JPA 2 level 2 cache?

We'd like to use another L2 cache for our big JPA application. We are trying to achieve a shared cache between multiple servers.
We use Eclipselink as JPA implementation, and some legacy codes uses internal Eclipselink API's, so switching is not an option.
Coherence/Toplink Grid seems too expensive (4000$/cpu?).
Is there a way we could plug another cache implementation? Is something specified in JPA 2 (I can't find anything in the specs, but maybe I just misread it)? Proprietary (=Eclipselink specific) solutions are ok, as long as they are somewhat documented or simple enough (we don't want that to break).
Is there a way we could plug another cache implementation?
Did you investigate the use of the EclipseLink shared object cache that comes with EclipseLink? Going by the description, the shared object cache is not confined to a single EntityManager alone, and is available across the lifecycles of several Entity managers, i.e. across several transactions. It is of course, constrained to the lifecycle of an EntityManagerFactory, which may be as live as long as the application is running in the container.
The EclipseLink shared object cache is different from Oracle Coherence, and I believe it is not licensed and packaged separately, thereby making it available on all containers.
JPA does not specify a pluggable cache interface. I don't know if it ever will, but if it does, my bet is that it won't be until after the resurrected JSR-107 finishes defining a standard API to object caches, which JPA would then be able to use. It might also have to wait for JSR 347, which is defining another cache interface, whose relationship to JCache is somewhat unclear (there is open factional warfare between and within the groups, with some members of the 107 expert group trying to declare 347 an independent republic, and invade Mexico).
So, until then, you're at the mercy of your provider's cache interface. I am not an EclipseLink expert, but last time i looked, i couldn't see a pluggable second-level cache interface. In fact, i think only Hibernate and, of course, DataNucleus, have them.
Most cache implementations are not distributed (other than Coherence), just local.
EclipseLink already supports a share cache and cache coordination for caching in a cluster.
What cache do you intent to use, and what benefit do you intend to get from it?
EclipseLink does support integration with 3rd party caches, this API was created for the Coherence integration, although Coherence is the only cache that currently provides an integration.

JPA with Multiple Servers

I am currently working on a project that uses JPA (Toplink, currently) for its persistence. Currently, we are running a single application server, but, for redundancy, we would like to add a load balancer and another application sever (and possibly more as it grows).
First, I'm running into the issue of JPA caching. Since two processes will be updating the same database, the JPA cache returns the cached value rather than going to the database. I see how to turn that off, and the database itself implements a level of caching. Is turning off the cache completely the way to go here? I see the ways to tell JPA to always get from the database at a query level, but in a multi-server environment, it seems that you'll always want that to happen.
Along with this specific question, I'm interested in anyone out there who has implemented a JPA solution with multiple application servers and what problems arose during the implementation (and any suggestions you have).
Thanks much.
As you have found, you can disable the shared cache, see http://wiki.eclipse.org/EclipseLink/Examples/JPA/Caching or http://wiki.eclipse.org/EclipseLink/FAQ/How_to_disable_the_shared_cache%3F
There are also other options available in EclipseLink depending on your data and requirements.
A list of option include:
Disable shared cache
Enable cache coordination (see, http://www.eclipse.org/eclipselink/api/2.1/org/eclipse/persistence/config/PersistenceUnitProperties.html#COORDINATION_PROTOCOL)
Set a cache invalidation timeout (see, http://www.eclipse.org/eclipselink/api/2.1/org/eclipse/persistence/annotations/Cache.html#expiry%28%29)
Enable optimistic locking, this will ensure that any stale object cannot be updated, when an update on stale data occurs it will fail, and EclipseLink will automatically invalidate the object in the cache.
Investigate the Oracle TopLink integration of EclipseLink and Oracle Coherence to provide a distributed cache.
See also, http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Java_Persistence/Caching#Caching_in_a_Cluster
There is no perfect solution, the solution used normally depend on the data/class, normally an application has a set of read-only classes, read-mostly classes and write mostly classes. Personally I would enable the cache for the read-only with a 1 day timeout, enable the cache with cache coordination for the read-mostly, and disable the cache for the write mostly.

What caching model/framework with Websphere Spring Hibernate Oracle?

We are looking at implementing a caching framework for our application to help improve the overall performance of our site.
We are running on Websphere 6.1, Spring, Hibernate and Oracle. The focus currently is on the static data or data that changes very little through out the day but is used a lot.
So any info would be great. I have started my google search and reading but wanted to get a feel for what has worked for members of the community. One of the things that we are interested in is the ability to have the system invalidate the cache when a change does happen in the underlining data.
Thanks
Update:
I came across an article on the IBM web site where it says that Hibernate's Cluster aware caches in conjunction with WebSphere Application Server has not been determined yet; therefore, is is not yet determined whether or not their use is supported.
Thoughts on that? We are running in a clustered environment.
Well the hibernate cache system does just that, I used ehCache effectively and easily with Hibernate (and the second level cache system).
Lucene could be an option too depending on the situation. Hibernate Search or Compass could help with that (although it might take some major work).
Replication using Terracotta could also be an option although I've never done it.
Hibernate has first and second level caching built in. You can configure it to use EhCache, OSCache, SwarmCache, or C3P0 - your choice.
You can also leverage WebSphere's default cache i.e. DynaCache to implement the second level cache. This will allow you to administer, monitor and configure your cache leveraging WebSphere caching infrastructure
I've used ehCache and OSCache and found OSCache to be easier to configure and use.
One of the things that we are
interested in is the ability to have
the system invalidate the cache when a
change does happen in the underlining
data.
From what I can see, Hibernate doesn't actually do the above - from Hibernate's docs:
Be careful. Caches are never aware of
changes made to the persistent store
by another application (though they
may be configured to regularly expire
cached data).
Obviously what it means is that a cache doesn't have ESP, and can't tell if an app not in the cluster has called straight DML on the database - but I am guessing that what you want is an ability to expose a service for legacy apps to hook in and invalidate the cache when they do update that data. And there isn't, to my knowledge, a suggestion about how this might be done.

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