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HTTP cache and Varnish

How the DXP caches whole responses with ibexa/http-cache - the built-in Symfony proxy by default, Varnish as an option, the purge settings, the time to live, purging by path and tag, and what to check when a page stays…

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HTTP cache and Varnish

This page is for developers and administrators who make a DXP site fast. The DXP ships ibexa/http-cache: whole responses are cached, tagged with the content they show, and purged when that content changes. Without Varnish, the Symfony HTTP cache proxy inside the application does the job.

Contents

  1. The two modes
  2. Settings
  3. Switching to Varnish
  4. Purging by hand
  5. When a page stays stale

The two modes

ModeSetPurge type
Symfony HTTP cache (default)APP_HTTP_CACHE=1 in the web serverHTTPCACHE_PURGE_TYPE=local
Varnish in frontAPP_HTTP_CACHE=0 (Varnish caches instead)HTTPCACHE_PURGE_TYPE=varnish

An installed project's config/packages/ibexa.yaml explains why a long time to live is safe: the HTTP cache bundle "is designed to expire all affected cache on changes".

Settings

VariableGuide's defaultMeaning
HTTPCACHE_PURGE_TYPElocallocal or varnish
HTTPCACHE_DEFAULT_TTL86400Seconds a response may be cached
HTTPCACHE_PURGE_SERVERhttp://localhost:80Where purge requests go (Varnish address)
HTTPCACHE_VARNISH_INVALIDATE_TOKENunsetA shared secret for purge requests where an IP allow list is not possible
TRUSTED_PROXIESunsetThe proxy's address, so Symfony trusts its headers

Switching to Varnish

From the skeleton's guide (section 19):

  1. Set in .env.local:

    HTTPCACHE_PURGE_TYPE=varnish
HTTPCACHE_PURGE_SERVER=http://127.0.0.1:6081
HTTPCACHE_VARNISH_INVALIDATE_TOKEN=<your secret>
TRUSTED_PROXIES=127.0.0.1

  2. Set APP_HTTP_CACHE=0 in the web server configuration.

  3. Load a VCL that understands the bundle's tags and purge requests. The guide points to a doc/varnish/ directory "if present" or to the upstream documentation; no VCL ships in the skeleton itself.

  4. Clear the cache and purge everything once:

    php bin/console cache:clear
php bin/console fos:httpcache:invalidate:path / --all

Varnish 6.0 or 7.1 and newer are the versions the guide names.

Purging by hand 

php bin/console fos:httpcache:invalidate:path / --all     # every path
php bin/console fos:httpcache:invalidate:tag <tag>        # one tag

Normal publishing purges by itself; purge by hand only after a template or configuration deploy.

When a page stays stale

  1. Is it the browser? Reload without cache, or test with curl -I.
  2. Is it the HTTP cache? Look at the Age and cache headers in the response.
  3. Is it the application cache? Clear it (Application cache and Redis).
  4. With Varnish: does the purge reach it? Check HTTPCACHE_PURGE_SERVER and the token, and Varnish's log.
  5. After a deploy: did you warm the cache after clearing it (Deploying)?

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