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answer: direct
beat: system-design
source: 1 article · updated: November 14, 2026
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Why partition the cache differently from the database?

If cache and database shard identically, losing one cache cluster sends all of its misses to the same database shard, creating a hot spot. A different partitioning scheme spreads one cache cluster's misses across many database shards, so the failure is absorbed, not concentrated.

Answered in

Caches That Survive Change: Warming, CDC Invalidation and Partitioning Apart From the Database

Resizing a cache, replacing a node or failing over a region causes cold starts. How warming, log-driven invalidation and separate partitioning prevent them.

Crashtech Editorial November 14, 2026 System Design & Architecture

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