



= Cache Module

The `cache` module is used to cache attributes. The idea is that you can look
up information in a database, and then cache it. Repeated requests for the same
information will then have the cached values added to the request.

The module can cache a fixed set of attributes per key.
It can be listed in any `recv` or `send` section.

NOTE: If you want to have different things cached for different
sections, you will need to define multiple instances of the module,
via `cache <nameN> { ... }`.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Option    | Description
| `ok`      | if it found or created a cache entry.
| `updated` | if it merged a cached entry.
| `noop`    | if it did nothing.
| `fail`    | on error.
|===



## Configuration Settings


driver::

The current backend datastore used to store the cache entries are:

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Driver                | Description
| `rbtree`              | An in memory, non persistent rbtree based datastore.
                          Useful for caching data locally.
| `memcached`           | A non persistent "webscale" distributed datastore.
                          Useful if the cached data need to be shared between
                          a cluster of RADIUS servers.
| `redis`               | A persistent "webscale" clustered, sharded, data store.
                          Extremely fast, and a good candidate for sharing
                          data such as EAP session blobs, between a cluster of
                          servers.
|===



NOTE: Some drivers accept specific options, to set them a config section with the
the name as the driver should be added to the cache instance.

Driver specific options are:



### Memcached cache driver


options:: Memcached configuration options.

The memcached options are documented at
http://docs.libmemcached.org/libmemcached_configuration.html#memcached



pool:: Connection pool.



### Redis cache driver


server:: Redis Server name.

If using Redis cluster, multiple 'bootstrap' servers may be
listed here (as separate config items). These will be contacted
in turn until one provides us with a valid map for the cluster.
Server strings may contain unique ports.

e.g.:

  server = '127.0.0.1:30001'
  server = '[::1]:30002'

Instantiation failure behaviour is controlled by `pool.start` as
with every other module, but with clustering, the pool section
determines limits for each node in the cluster, not the cluster
as a whole.



port:: Port to use for Redis server.

The default port is 6379.



password:: For authenticating ourselves to the Redis server.



database:: The database number to use.



pool:: Connection pool.



key:: The `key` used to index the cache. It is dynamically expanded at run time.



ttl::

The TTL of cache entries, in seconds. Entries older than this
will be expired.

This value should be between `10` and `86400`.



NOTE: You can flush the cache via
`radmin -e "set module config cache epoch 123456789"`
Where last value is a 32-bit Unix timestamp. Cache entries older
than this are expired, as new entries added.
You should never set the "epoch" configuration item in this file.


add_stats::

If `yes` the following attributes will be added to the request:
  * `&request.Cache-Entry-Hits` - The number of times this entry
has been retrieved.

NOTE: Not supported by the `rlm_cache_memcached` module.



max_entries:: Maximum entries allowed.



update { ... }:: The attributes to cache for a particular key.

Each key gets the same set of cached attributes.

The operation of the `update` section is a little different
from normal `update` sections.  This is because we need to
both reference the attributes which we want to store in the
cache, and also to describe where those attributes are
written to when the cache entry is read.

The solution (albeit an imperfect one) is that the cache
does not store attributes, it stores `update` sections.
The `update` section given below is used as a template
for the cache entry.

When the cache entry is created, the right-hand side of
each attribute assignment line is expanded.  The left-hand
side of the attribute assignment is left alone.

Once all of the right-hand side values are expanded, the
result is an `update` section with left-hand side
assignments, and right-hand side values.  That `update`
section is then cached, indexed by the `key`

When the cache entry is read, it is looked up by the `key`,
and the cached `update` section is found.  This cache entry
now has left-hand side assignments, and right-hand side
values.  It is then applied to the current request.

For example, if the `cache` module is configured with the
block below:

update {
      &reply.Reply-Message := "Hello %{User-Name}"
}

When the cache entry is created, the module will expand the
right side of the entry, using the attributes from the
packet.  In this case, the string could expand to `"Hello bob"`.

Once all of the right-hand values are expanded, the
resulting cache entry will look like this:

update {
      &reply.Reply-Message := "Hello bob"
}

When the cache module is read, this `update` section is
applied just as if it had been specified in a configuration
file.

NOTE: Only `request`, `reply`, `control` and
`session-state` lists are available for the left side of
cache entries. Attempting to reference other lists *will
raise an error* during config validation.


<list>.<attribute> <op> <value>::


Cache all instances of `link:https://freeradius.org/rfc/rfc2865.html#Reply-Message[Reply-Message]` in the reply list.

Add our own to show when the cache was last updated.

Add your own value for `link:https://freeradius.org/rfc/rfc2865.html#Class[Class]`.


## How to use

### Configuration

This module supports a number of runtime configuration parameters
represented by attributes in the `&control.` list.

&control.Cache-TTL:: Sets the TTL of an entry to be created, or
 modifies the TTL of an existing entry.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Condition            | Description
| `Cache-TTL` of > `0` | Set the TTL of the entry to the new value
                         (and reset the expiry timer).
| `Cache-TTL` of < `0` | Expire the existing entry and create a new
                         one with TTL set to `Cache-TTL` * `-1`.
| `Cache-TTL` of `0`   | Expire the existing entry and create a new one.
|===

&control.Cache-Status-Only:: If present and set to `yes` will
prevent a new entry from being created, and existing entries from
being merged. It will also alter the module's return codes.

   * The module will return `ok` if a cache entry was found.
   * The module will return `notfound` if no cache entry was found.

NOTE: If this is set to `yes`, no other cache control attributes will
be honoured, but they will still be cleared.

&control.Cache-Allow-Insert:: If present and set to `no` will
prevent a new entry from being created. If not present or set
to `yes`, and no entry exists, a new one will be created.
This is evaluated after `Cache-TTL`, so expired entries may be
recreated.

&control.Cache-Allow-Merge:: If present and set to `no` will
prevent existing entries from being merged. If not present or
set to `yes`, and an entry exists (and is valid), it will be
merged with the current request.
This is evaluated before `Cache-TTL`, so entries being expired
may first be merged.

&control.Cache-Merge-New:: If present and set to `yes` will merge new
cache entries into the current request. Useful if results of execs or
expansions are stored directly in the cache.


NOTE: All runtime configuration attributes will be removed from the
`&control.` list after the cache module is called.

### Methods

The cache module also allows handling the cache using the methods.

cache.status:: Verify if an entry already exists without load the entries.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Return     | Description
| `ok`       | if a cache entry was found.
| `notfound` | if no cache entry was found.
|===

cache.load:: Load an existing cache entry and merge it into the request.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Return     | Description
| `updated`  | if a cache entry was found and loaded.
| `notfound` | if no cache entry was found.
|===

cache.store:: Perform an upset against the data store. (Not affect the existing
request).

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Return     | Description
| `updated`  | if we added cache entry.
| `noop`     | if a cache entry ready exists.
|===

cache.clear:: Delete cache entry from the data store without checking if the entry
already exists.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Return     | Description
| `ok`       | if we found and remove a entry.
| `notfound` | if no cache entry was found.
|===

cache.ttl:: Change the TTL on an existing entry.

[options="header,autowidth"]
|===
| Return     | Description
| `updated`  | if we found entry and updated the ttl.
| `notfound` | if no cache entry was found.
|===

### Examples

```
# Add a cache entry
&control.Cache-TTL := 1h
cache.store
if (updated) {
  ..keys stored
}

# Get the cache status
cache.status
if (ok) {
  ..Exist a cache entry
}

# Load the cache entry
cache.load
if (updated) {
  ..loaded
}

# Change the entries TTL
&control.Cache-TTL := 30m
cache.ttl
if (updated) {
  ..ttl changed
}

# Clear the cache
cache.clear
if (ok) {
  ..cache is empty
}
```

[NOTE]
====
  * This is evaluated before `Cache-TTL`, so entries being expired
may first be merged.
  * All runtime configuration attributes will be removed from the
`&control:` list after any cache method is called.
====


== Default Configuration

```
cache {
#	driver = "rbtree"
#	memcached {
#		options = "--SERVER=localhost"
#		pool {
#			start = 0
#			min = 0
#			max =
#			spare = 1
#			uses = 0
#			lifetime = 0
#			idle_timeout = 60
#		}
#	}
#	redis {
#		server = 127.0.0.1
#		port = 6379
#		password = 'supersecret'
#		database = 0
#		pool {
			start = 0
			min = 0
#			max =
#			spare = 1
#			uses = 0
#			lifetime = 0
#			idle_timeout = 60
#		}
#	}
	key = &User-Name
	ttl = 10
	add_stats = no
#	max_entries = 0
	update {
		&reply.Reply-Message := &reply.Reply-Message
		&reply.Reply-Message += "Cache last updated at %t"
		&reply.Class := "%randstr(ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss)"
	}
}
```
