In the previous lessons, you have learned about installing Memcached PHP Libraries and configuring Memcached Daemon on your dedicated server. Now next steps are to configure your apps and websites to use them so that you can get their real benefit.
So once you get the Memcached Daemon and PHP libraries installed on your CentOS-based dedicated server, you are required to configure your PHP application to use Memcached. In case you don’t it, Memcached is going to use your server resources without providing you any of the advantages.
Before starting, the system recommends you take a backup of your websites and then follow the changes outlined below.
WordPress users can take its benefit simply by using a plugin called W3 Total Cache Plugin. Yes, there are many other plugins as well but the system finds it best for most of its users. If in case this plugin doesn’t suit you or it is in conflict with some other plugin you are using, it that’s your case then you can choose some other plugin such as Batcache, Cachify, Memcached-Redux, etc.
In this lesson, you will learn about configuring the first and the best one i.e. W3 Total Cache. Simply start by installing-activating the plugin and then to configure, navigate to the Performance -> General Settings page.
Next, make sure the Enable tickbox is checked and Memcached is selected with the cache method for:
- Page Cache
- Object Cache
- Database Cache
- Fragment Cache
Once you do this, your website starts to use the Memcached services for imporving the performace of your website at the same time reducing the load on your dedicated server.