⚙️ Server-Side Caching Setup on VPS

Server-side caching is one of the most effective ways to speed up your website and reduce server load. In this guide, we’ll explore how to configure popular caching solutions like Redis, Memcached, OPcache, and built-in web server mechanisms.

🔄 Redis: Fast Key-Value Store

• 📦 Install via package manager: apt install redis or yum install redis
• ⚙️ Ensure it's running: systemctl status redis
• 🔐 Configure /etc/redis/redis.conf to allow access only from localhost
• 🔌 Integrate with your CMS using appropriate plugins (e.g., Redis Object Cache for WordPress)

⚡ Memcached: Lightweight Alternative

• 🧰 Install: apt install memcached or yum install memcached
• 📍 By default, it listens on port 11211 — restrict access via firewall
• 🔁 Useful for caching SQL results and session data
• 📦 Supported in PHP, Python, Node.js, and more via libraries

🧠 OPcache: PHP Acceleration

• 🚀 Enable in php.ini:
• opcache.enable=1
• opcache.memory_consumption=128
• opcache.interned_strings_buffer=8
• opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000
• 📈 Significantly speeds up PHP execution by caching compiled scripts in memory

🌐 Web Server-Level Caching

• 📑 Enable static caching in Nginx using expires and cache-control
• 🛡 Use FastCGI cache for PHP output in Nginx
• 📁 For Apache: enable modules like mod_cache, mod_expires, mod_deflate
• 📊 Monitor efficiency with tools like htop, redis-cli monitor, and web server logs