Memcached is a high-performance, distributed memory caching system that helps improve web application speed by caching data in memory. It is commonly used to reduce database load by storing frequently accessed data. In this guide, we will walk you through how to install Memcached on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Whether you're using a Windows VPS UK or another VPS solution, Memcached can help optimize your server's performance.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

• An Ubuntu 20.04 LTS server, which can be hosted on a UK Windows VPS, Windows Virtual Private Servers, or another Windows VPS Hosting UK solution.
• Root or sudo privileges on your server.

Step 1: Update Your System

As always, start by updating your system to ensure all packages are up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Memcached

Memcached is available in the default Ubuntu repositories, so installing it is straightforward. Run the following command to install Memcached:

sudo apt install memcached libmemcached-tools -y

This command installs Memcached along with useful command-line tools for managing and testing your Memcached setup.

Step 3: Configure Memcached

Once Memcached is installed, it will start automatically. To configure Memcached, open the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/memcached.conf

In the configuration file, you can adjust settings such as the memory limit and the IP address that Memcached listens on. For example, to increase the memory limit to 128 MB, find the following line:

-m 64

And change it to:

-m 128

You can also change the listening address if you want Memcached to listen on a specific IP, such as 127.0.0.1 to restrict access to localhost. After making changes, save and close the file.

Step 4: Restart Memcached

After configuring Memcached, restart the service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart memcached

Step 5: Check Memcached Status

To check if Memcached is running properly, use the following command:

sudo systemctl status memcached

You should see output indicating that Memcached is active and running.

Step 6: Enable Memcached to Start on Boot

To ensure that Memcached starts automatically when your server reboots, enable the service:

sudo systemctl enable memcached

Step 7: Testing Memcached

To test Memcached, you can use the telnet command to connect to Memcached on the default port 11211. Install telnet if you don't have it already:

sudo apt install telnet

Now, connect to Memcached using telnet:

telnet localhost 11211

Once connected, you can run commands like stats to view Memcached statistics:

stats

To exit, type quit.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully installed and configured Memcached on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Memcached will help reduce database load and improve the performance of your web applications, especially when deployed on Windows VPS UK, Windows VPS Italy, or other Windows Virtual Dedicated Server Hosting environments.