16.67. Cache Policy

Each connector is responsible for determining whether and how long ModeShape is to cache the content made available by the connector. This is referred to as the caching policy, and consists of a time to live value representing the number of milliseconds that a piece of data may be cached. After the TTL has passed, the information is no longer used.

ModeShape allows a connector to use a flexible and powerful caching policy. First, each connection returns the default caching policy for all information returned by that connection. Often this policy can be configured via properties on the RepositorySource implementation. This is optional, meaning the connector can return null if it does not wish to have a default caching policy.

Second, the connector is able to override its default caching policy on individual requests. Again, this is optional, meaning that a null caching policy on a request implies that the request has no overridden caching policy.

Third, if the connector has no default caching policy and none is set on the individual requests, ModeShape uses whatever caching policy is set up for that component using the connector. For example, the federating connector allows a default caching policy to be specified, and this policy is used should the sources being federated not define their own caching policy.

In summary, a connector has total control over whether and for how long the information it provides is cached.