LookupCache policy

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Configures how cached values should be retrieved at runtime.

This policy is intended for use in general purpose short-term caching. It is used in conjunction with the Populate Cache policy (for writing entries) and the Invalidate Cache policy (for invalidating entries).

For caching the responses of backend resources, see the Response Cache policy.

Element reference

The following lists the elements you can configure on this policy.

<LookupCache async="false" continueOnError="false" enabled="true" name="Lookup-Cache-1">
    <DisplayName>Lookup Cache 1</DisplayName>
    <Properties/>
    <CacheKey>
        <Prefix/>
        <KeyFragment ref=""/>
    </CacheKey>
    <!-- Omit this element if you're using the included shared cache. -->
    <CacheResource/>
    <CacheLookupTimeoutInSeconds/>
    <Scope>Exclusive</Scope>
    <AssignTo>flowVar</AssignTo>
</LookupCache>

A shared cache is included by default. To use the shared cache, omit the <CacheResource> element in this policy configuration.

For more about the underlying data store, see Cache internals. For more about configuring caches, see Creating and editing an environment cache.

<LookupCache> attributes

The following table describes attributes that are common to all policy parent elements:

Attribute Description Default Presence
name

The internal name of the policy. The value of the name attribute can contain letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens, underscores, and periods. This value cannot exceed 255 characters.

Optionally, use the <DisplayName> element to label the policy in the management UI proxy editor with a different, natural-language name.

N/A Required
continueOnError

Set to false to return an error when a policy fails. This is expected behavior for most policies.

Set to true to have flow execution continue even after a policy fails.

false Optional
enabled

Set to true to enforce the policy.

Set to false to turn off the policy. The policy will not be enforced even if it remains attached to a flow.

true Optional
async

This attribute is deprecated.

false Deprecated

<DisplayName> element

Use in addition to the name attribute to label the policy in the management UI proxy editor with a different, natural-language name.

<DisplayName>Policy Display Name</DisplayName>
Default

N/A

If you omit this element, the value of the policy's name attribute is used.

Presence Optional
Type String

<AssignTo> element

Specifies the variable where the cache entry is assigned after it has been retrieved from the cache. The variable must be writable. If the cache lookup doesn't retrieve a value, the variable will not be set.

<AssignTo>variable_to_receive_cached_value</AssignTo>

Default:

N/A

Presence:

Required

Type:

String

<CacheKey> element

Configures a unique pointer to a piece of data stored in the cache.

<CacheKey>
    <Prefix>string</Prefix>
    <KeyFragment ref="variable_name" />
    <KeyFragment>literal_string</KeyFragment>
</CacheKey>

Default:

N/A

Presence:

Required

Type:

N/A

<CacheKey> constructs the name of each piece of data stored in the cache.

At runtime, <KeyFragment> values are prepended with either the <Scope> element value or <Prefix> value. For example, the following results in a cache key of UserToken__apiAccessToken__<value_of_client_id>:

<CacheKey>
    <Prefix>UserToken</Prefix>
    <KeyFragment>apiAccessToken</KeyFragment>
    <KeyFragment ref="request.queryparam.client_id" />
</CacheKey>

You use the <CacheKey> element in conjunction with <Prefix> and <Scope>. For more information, see Working with cache keys.

<CacheLookupTimeoutInSeconds> element

Specifies the number of seconds after which an unsuccessful cache lookup will be considered a cache miss. If this occurs, flow resumes along the cache-miss path.

<CacheLookupTimeoutInSeconds>30</CacheLookupTimeoutInSeconds>

Default:

30

Presence:

Optional

Type:

Integer

<CacheResource> element

Specifies the cache where messages should be stored.

Omit this element completely if this policy (and your corresponding PopulateCache and InvalidateCache policies) is using the included shared cache.

<CacheResource>cache_to_use</CacheResource>

Default:

N/A

Presence:

Optional

Type:

String

For more about configuring caches, see Creating and editing an environment cache.

<CacheKey>/<KeyFragment> element

Specifies a value that should be included in the cache key, creating a namespace for matching requests to cached responses.

<KeyFragment ref="variable_name"/>
<KeyFragment>literal_string</KeyFragment>

Default:

N/A

Presence:

Optional

Type:

N/A

This can be a key (a static name that you provide) or a value (a dynamic entry set by referencing a variable). All specified fragments combined (plus the prefix) are concatenated to create the cache key.

<KeyFragment>apiAccessToken</KeyFragment>
<KeyFragment ref="request.queryparam.client_id" />

You use the <KeyFragment> element in conjunction with <Prefix> and <Scope>. For more information, see Working with cache keys.

Attributes

Attribute Type Default Required Description
ref string No

The variable from which to get the value. Should not be used if this element contains a literal value.

<CacheKey>/<Prefix> element

Specifies a value to use as a cache key prefix.

<Prefix>prefix_string</Prefix>

Default:

N/A

Presence:

Optional

Type:

String

Use this value instead of <Scope> when you want to specify your own value rather than a <Scope> -enumerated value. If defined, <Prefix> prepends the cache key value for entries written to the cache. A <Prefix> element value overrides a <Scope> element value.

You use the <Prefix> element in conjunction with <CacheKey> and <Scope>. For more information, see Working with cache keys.

<Scope> element

Enumeration used to construct a prefix for a cache key when a <Prefix> element is not provided in the <CacheKey> element.

<Scope>scope_enumeration</Scope>

Default:

"Exclusive"

Presence:

Optional

Type:

String

The <Scope> setting determines a cache key that is prepended according to the <Scope> value. For example, a cache key would take the following form when scope is set to Exclusive : orgName__envName__applicationName__deployedRevisionNumber__proxy|TargetName__ [ serializedCacheKey ].

If a <Prefix> element is present in <CacheKey>, it supersedes a <Scope> element value. Valid values include the enumerations below.

You use the <Scope> element in conjunction with <CacheKey> and <Prefix>. For more information, see Working with cache keys.

Acceptable values

Global

Cache key is shared across all API proxies deployed in the environment. Cache key is prepended in the form orgName __ envName __.

If you define a <CacheKey> entry with the <KeyFragment> apiAccessToken and a <Global> scope, each entry is stored as orgName__envName__apiAccessToken, followed by the serialized value of the access token. For an API proxy deployed in an environment called 'test' in an organization called 'apifactory', access tokens would be stored under the following cache key: apifactory__test__apiAccessToken.

Application

API proxy name is used as the prefix.

Cache key is prepended in the form orgName__envName__applicationName.

Proxy

ProxyEndpoint configuration is used as the prefix.

Cache key is prepended in the form orgName__envName__applicationName__deployedRevisionNumber__proxyEndpointName .

Target

TargetEndpoint configuration is used as the prefix.

Cache key prepended in the form orgName__envName__applicationName__deployedRevisionNumber__targetEndpointName .

Exclusive

Default. This is the most specific, and therefore presents minimal risk of namespace collisions within a given cache.

Prefix is one of two forms:

  • If the policy is attached to the ProxyEndpoint flow, prefix is of the form ApiProxyName_ProxyEndpointName.
  • If the policy is attached at TargetEndpoint, prefix is of the form ApiProxyName_TargetName.

Cache key prepended in the form orgName__envName__applicationName__deployedRevisionNumber__proxyNameITargetName

For example, the full string might look like this:

apifactory__test__weatherapi__16__default__apiAccessToken
.

Usage notes

Use this policy for general-purpose caching. At runtime, the LookupCache policy retrieves a value from the cache, assigning the value to the variable you specify with the AssignTo element (if no value is retrieved, the variable will not be set). It looks for the value based on a cache key created through configuration that combines the CacheKey and Scope elements. In other words, to retrieve a particular value added to the cache by a PopulateCache policy, your LookupCache policy must have cache key-related elements configured in the same way as the PopulateCache policy.

General purpose caching with the Populate Cache policy, LookupCache policy, and InvalidateCache policy uses either a cache you configure or a shared cache that's included by default. In most cases, the underlying shared cache should meet your needs. To use the default cache, simply omit the <CacheResource> element.

For more about configuring caches, see Creating and editing an environment cache. For more about the underlying data store, see Cache internals.

Flow variables

Flow variables can be used to configure dynamic runtime behavior for policies and flows, based on HTTP headers or message content, or the context available in the Flow. For more information about flow variables, see Variables reference.

The following predefined Flow variables are available after you customize the behavior of the cache you define in a LookupCache policy.

Variables Type Permission Description
lookupcache.{policy-name}.cachename String Read-Only Returns the cache name used in the policy.
lookupcache.{policy-name}.cachekey String Read-Only Returns the key used.
lookupcache.{policy-name}.cachehit Boolean Read-Only True if the policy found a value for the specified cache key.
lookupcache.{policy-name}.assignto String Read-Only Returns the variable to which cache is assigned.

Error codes

This section describes the error messages and flow variables that are set when this policy triggers an error. This information is important to know if you are developing fault rules for a proxy. To learn more, see What you need to know about policy errors and Handling faults.

Error code prefix

N/A

Runtime errors

This policy does not throw any runtime errors.

Deployment errors

These errors can occur when you deploy a proxy containing this policy.

Error name Cause Fix
InvalidCacheResourceReference This error occurs if the <CacheResource> element is set to a name which does not exist in the environment where the API proxy is being deployed.
InvalidTimeout If the <CacheLookupTimeoutInSeconds> element is set to a negative number, then the deployment of the API proxy fails.
CacheNotFound This error occurs if the specific cache mentioned in the error message has not been created on a specific Message Processor component.

Fault variables

N/A

Example error response

N/A