EasyCaching Enhancement Plan

[workcontrolgit]

Goals

• Improve cache performance and reduce cloud cost.
• Keep flexible invalidation when backend data changes.
• Preserve cache diagnostics headers: X-Cache-Status, X-Cache-Key, X-Cache-Duration-Ms.
• Keep hash vs raw cache key display configurable, and allow invalidation with either.

Target Design

Configuration (WebApi)

• Add EasyCaching packages (Memory + Redis).
• Configure in Program.cs:
  • AddEasyCaching(options => ...)
  • Choose providers via appsettings: memory only, redis only, or hybrid.
• Keep Caching:Diagnostics settings to control headers and key display mode.

Caching API

• Wrap EasyCaching with a small adapter to match current usage:
  • GetAsync<T>(key)
  • SetAsync<T>(key, ttl)
  • RemoveAsync(key)
  • RemoveByPrefixAsync(prefix) or RemoveByTagAsync(tag)
• Prefer tags for invalidation:
  • Tag all Employees responses with Employees:GetAll
  • Tag all Positions responses with Positions:GetAll

Diagnostics Headers

• Keep a thin diagnostics publisher:
  • Emits X-Cache-Status, X-Cache-Key, X-Cache-Duration-Ms.
  • Uses Caching:Diagnostics settings.
  • Supports KeyDisplayMode: Raw|Hash with hash invalidation mapping.

Implementation Steps

1. Add EasyCaching packages to WebApi (and Redis provider if distributed).
2. Add EasyCaching configuration section to appsettings:
   • Provider selection
   • Redis connection string
3. Build an adapter around EasyCaching:
   • Map existing cache keys and prefixes/tags
   • Track keys for hashed invalidation
4. Replace current caching behaviors with EasyCaching adapter calls.
5. Update invalidation endpoint to use tags/prefixes and hash mapping.
6. Remove custom caching project/code and references.
7. Update docs/tests to match new behavior.

Verification

• Hit GET /api/v1/Employees twice: expect MISS then HIT.
• Confirm headers match config names.
• Invalidate by tag/prefix and verify next request is MISS.
• Test hash invalidation when KeyDisplayMode=Hash.