Configuring Couchbase as Memcached

While Couchbase Server is completely compatible with the open-source memcached protocol, we realize that there are still good use cases for using a cache. For this reason, we have included standard memcached functionality into the Couchbase Server product. Simply configure a bucket to be of type "Memcached" and it will behave almost identically to the open source version. There are a few differences around memory management but your clients and applications will not see a difference.

Q: What are the behavioral differences between Couchbase and Memcached?

A: The biggest difference is that Couchbase is a database. It will persist your data and return an error if there is not enough RAM or disk space available. Memcached is a cache, and will evict older data to make room for new data. Couchbase also provides replication so that you always have access to your data in the event of a failure. Memcached runs only out of RAM and has no replication so the loss of a server will result in the loss of that cache.

Q: What are the advantages to using this Memcached over the open source version?

A: We provide a much enhanced UI for the purposes of configuration and monitoring. Also, through the use of "smart clients", your application can be dynamically updated with cluster topology changes. Using this server also gives you an easy path to upgrade to a Couchbase bucket type for the enhanced HA, persistence and querying capabilities.