You need to cache arbitrary data like results of PHP logic within methods,database query calls and generally any data results from a process (not Opcode caching). What would you want to use between third-party caching softwares like Apc and Memcached?What makes you prefer the above tools to caching your data onto your local file system?
thanks
Luca
Go with Memcache. It has a lot more support and larger community (because it can be used by multiple languages). Supports access from multiple servers, so it allow for a more scalable architecture.
That being said, still install APC or another opcode cache for PHP. It will significantly speed up PHP's execution time.
They're both different. APC is a local machine cache specific to PHP and memcached is a multiple-computer distributed cache. If you're trying to scale your programs memcached is often preferred. If you're designing for a single server then APC will suit you better.
I personally prefer a combination of both.
Simple answer, Memcache and APC store the data in memory, not on the disk. Access time is MUCH faster.
