Memcached is a high-performance, distributed memory caching system designed to speed up dynamic web applications by reducing the database load. It is widely used for caching database queries, API calls, and session data, making it a vital tool for optimizing server performance. In this guide, we'll show you how to install and configure Memcached on Ubuntu 24.04. For optimal performance, hosting your server on a WindowsVPS is recommended, as it ensures your VPS server has the resources necessary for handling intensive caching tasks.

Step 1: Update Your VPS Server

Before installing Memcached, ensure that your VPS server is up to date. Run the following command to update your package lists and upgrade your system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

By using a WindowsVPS, you gain the advantage of dedicated resources, making it easier to handle caching efficiently and boost the overall performance of your applications.

Step 2: Install Memcached

Memcached is available in the default Ubuntu 24.04 repositories, making installation simple. To install Memcached, run the following command:

sudo apt install memcached libmemcached-tools -y

This command installs both the Memcached server and its associated tools, which you can use to interact with the Memcached service.

Step 3: Configure Memcached

After installing Memcached, you need to configure it to ensure it is optimized for your environment. The configuration file is located at /etc/memcached.conf. Open the file with your preferred text editor:

sudo nano /etc/memcached.conf

Key settings to consider include:

• -m: This option sets the memory allocated for caching, in megabytes. The default is 64MB, but you can increase this depending on your server's resources. For example, to allocate 128MB of memory, change this line to:

-m 128

• -l: This option defines which IP address Memcached listens to. By default, it listens only to 127.0.0.1 (localhost). If you need Memcached to be accessible from external applications, change it to your VPS IP address:

-l your-server-ip

• -p: The port Memcached listens on. The default is 11211, but you can change this if needed.

After making changes, save and close the file.

Step 4: Start and Enable Memcached

Once configured, you can start the Memcached service and enable it to start automatically at boot. Run the following commands:

sudo systemctl start memcached
sudo systemctl enable memcached

Check the status of Memcached to ensure it is running correctly:

sudo systemctl status memcached

Step 5: Verify Memcached Installation

To verify that Memcached is working as expected, you can use the memcached-tool to check its status. Run the following command:

memcached-tool 127.0.0.1 stats

This will display a list of statistics about Memcached, including memory usage and hit rates.

Step 6: Configure a Firewall Rule (Optional)

If you're running a firewall on your VPS server, you may need to open the Memcached port (11211 by default) to allow external connections. If you're using UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), you can open the port with this command:

sudo ufw allow 11211

For security reasons, only open the port if you need to connect to Memcached from an external application. If Memcached will only be accessed locally, you can skip this step.

Step 7: Use Memcached in Your Applications

Now that Memcached is installed and running, you can integrate it with your applications. Many popular content management systems (CMS), frameworks, and programming languages, such as WordPress, Laravel, and Python, support Memcached natively or via plugins.

For optimal caching performance and scalability, hosting your application on a WindowsVPS is ideal. A VPS server provides the resources needed to handle Memcached workloads, ensuring faster database query response times and improved site performance.

Conclusion

Memcached is a powerful tool that significantly improves application performance by caching frequently requested data. Installing and configuring Memcached on Ubuntu 24.04 is straightforward, and by hosting it on a WindowsVPS, you can ensure that your caching solution is both efficient and scalable, meeting the demands of your growing website or application.

For more information on VPS hosting and how to optimize your server for performance, visit WindowsVPS today.