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To set up Memcached for MediaWiki on a VPS, install the Memcached daemon and a PHP client, bind the daemon to a private address (normally 127.0.0.1 when both services share one server), then point MediaWiki’s main cache at it in LocalSettings.php. Verify the PHP extension used by the web server, the listening address, and the firewall before enabling optional caches.
Memcached is optional. A small, single-server wiki may get a simpler and equally appropriate main cache from APCu, while Memcached becomes more useful when several application servers need a shared object cache.
What Memcached changes in a MediaWiki installation
Memcached is an in-memory object store. MediaWiki can place computed objects in it so that repeated requests do not have to perform the same database reads and PHP work. The cache is not a source of truth: if an item disappears, MediaWiki must be able to rebuild it from the database and application code.
The useful distinction is scope. APCu is local to one PHP server. Memcached can also be local, but its protocol allows several MediaWiki web servers to use the same cache pool. That shared scope is the reason it is common on larger or multi-web-server sites. It also adds a daemon, a network boundary, firewall rules, and another failure mode.
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When Memcached is a good fit
- Several web or application servers need a common object cache.
- The wiki repeatedly performs expensive object lookups and the database is becoming a bottleneck.
- You already operate a private network and can restrict cache traffic to trusted application hosts.
- You need a cache service that can be moved to a separate VPS as the wiki grows.
When APCu may be the better choice
For a small wiki with one VPS, APCu avoids network communication and usually has less operational overhead. MediaWiki’s performance guidance describes a common layered design as bytecode caching for PHP, APCu as the local server cache, and Memcached as the main shared cache. Do not install Memcached solely because it sounds faster; choose it when its shared scope or operational model solves a real problem.
Prerequisites and decisions before installation
Have these items ready:
- A supported Linux distribution with its package manager and service manager.
- Shell access with permission to install packages, change service settings, and configure the firewall.
- A working MediaWiki installation and a known PHP runtime used by the web server.
- Either Apache with its PHP module or the PHP-FPM service behind your web server.
- A decision about whether Memcached runs on the same VPS or on a private cache node.
- A firewall policy that denies public Memcached access.
Check both the PHP version and the modules visible to the web process. A module shown by the command-line php binary is not proof that the Apache or PHP-FPM runtime has the same module. If the web server uses a different PHP version, install and enable the client for that version and restart the relevant web service.
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php -mMediaWiki supports a pure-PHP Memcached client and the PECL memcached extension. The extension requires PHP sockets support. The PECL client can add features such as SASL authorization and connection pooling, but neither option makes an exposed Memcached listener safe by itself.
Choose a cache topology
| Topology | Bind address | Firewall policy | Typical reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memcached on the MediaWiki VPS | 127.0.0.1 |
No public inbound access; loopback traffic does not cross the network | One wiki server and the simplest deployment |
| One private cache VPS | The cache host’s private interface | Allow only the MediaWiki application hosts on the Memcached port | Keep cache memory separate from web and database resources |
| Several private cache nodes | Each node’s private interface | Allow only the known application hosts and cache peers required by your design | More memory or distribution across multiple nodes |
For a same-VPS installation, loopback is the safe default. A private address is appropriate only when the cache is deliberately separated and the private network is actually protected. Never replace 127.0.0.1 with a public IP merely to make a connection work.
Install Memcached and the PHP client
1. Identify the PHP runtime and package names
Package names vary by distribution release and PHP version. On Debian or Ubuntu, the daemon is normally supplied by a package named memcached. The PHP client may be provided as php-memcached or as a version-specific package such as one tied to the PHP version installed on the VPS. Confirm the package name in your release’s repository instead of assuming that a package for another PHP version will load.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install memcached php-memcachedIf your distribution uses a version-specific package, substitute that package name. If you choose the PECL extension instead, follow the PECL installation path for the PHP version actually used by the web service, then enable the extension in that runtime.
2. Restart the web runtime after enabling the extension
Restart PHP-FPM or Apache after installing or enabling a new PHP module. Substitute the service name and PHP version used by your VPS:
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sudo systemctl restart php8.2-fpm
# or, when Apache loads PHP directly:
sudo systemctl restart apache2Do not restart a service name that is not installed. Check the active units first if you are unsure, and verify the module from a MediaWiki request or the web runtime’s diagnostic output rather than relying only on php -m in a shell.
3. Start Memcached under the distribution service manager
Enable the packaged service so it starts after a reboot:
sudo systemctl enable --now memcachedDistribution packages commonly read daemon options from a service configuration file or unit. Use that mechanism for a persistent bind address, port, and memory limit. Do not run a second ad-hoc daemon on the same port while the packaged service is active.
Bind the daemon privately and choose its memory limit
MediaWiki’s basic same-VPS example is:
memcached -d -l 127.0.0.1 -p 11211 -m 64This starts a daemon on loopback port 11211 with a 64 MB limit. The 64 MB value is an example, not a universal recommendation. Set the limit according to the VPS’s available memory, the wiki’s object volume, and the other services competing for RAM. Leave enough memory for PHP workers, the database, the operating system, and filesystem cache.
For a packaged installation, express the equivalent options in the distribution’s Memcached service configuration and restart the service. Confirm the effective listener afterward:
sudo ss -lntup | grep 11211A same-VPS result should show the loopback address, not a public interface. If you intentionally run a separate cache node, the listener should show only the chosen private interface. Check both TCP and UDP exposure because Memcached can use both and a firewall rule covering only one protocol is incomplete.
Configure MediaWiki in LocalSettings.php
Add the cache settings after MediaWiki’s generated settings in LocalSettings.php. The essential configuration is:
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$wgMainCacheType = CACHE_MEMCACHED;
$wgMemCachedServers = [ '127.0.0.1:11211' ];The server entry is a host-and-port string. If Memcached is on a private cache host, replace the loopback address with that host’s private address or private DNS name. Keep the port consistent with the daemon configuration.
Optional parser and message caches
MediaWiki’s documentation also shows these optional settings:
$wgParserCacheType = CACHE_MEMCACHED;
$wgMessageCacheType = CACHE_MEMCACHED;Enable optional caches only after the main object cache connects reliably and you have enough memory for the additional working set. More cache types do not automatically produce a faster site; they can increase memory pressure and eviction if the limit is too small.
Session settings require a version check
Older configuration examples sometimes set $wgSessionsInObjectCache. That setting was removed in MediaWiki 1.33 and later, so do not paste it into a current installation. Session storage is version-sensitive; consult the configuration reference for the exact MediaWiki release before changing session-related backends. A session cache failure can prevent logins or edits even when ordinary page views appear healthy.
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Configure a separate or multi-node cache
Private cache node
On a separate VPS, bind Memcached to the cache host’s private interface and permit inbound traffic only from the MediaWiki application hosts. Then set the server list to the private endpoint:
$wgMemCachedServers = [ '10.0.0.20:11211' ];The address above is an example private-network address. Use the address assigned by your VPS network and do not publish it through a public interface.
Several servers
Represent multiple cache servers with additional entries in the array:
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$wgMemCachedServers = [
'10.0.0.20:11211',
'10.0.0.21:11211'
];MediaWiki also supports weighted server entries for nodes with different memory capacities. The exact weighted-array syntax and socket behavior should match the configuration reference for your MediaWiki version; test the resulting configuration before routing production traffic to it.
Unix sockets
When the daemon and PHP run on the same host, a Unix socket can avoid TCP loopback overhead. MediaWiki documents the unix:///path form. Socket ownership and web-service permissions must allow the PHP process to connect. Newer MediaWiki versions have specific rules about whether a trailing port may be included, so use the documented form for your release rather than copying a socket string from an unrelated version.
Secure Memcached before allowing any traffic
Memcached has no built-in authentication. Treat every reachable listener as an unauthenticated service.
- Bind a same-VPS daemon to
127.0.0.1. - For a separated deployment, bind only to a private interface or private address.
- Block inbound TCP and UDP traffic to the Memcached port from the public internet.
- Allow the port only from the MediaWiki web or application hosts that need it.
- Do not place passwords, API keys, or other sensitive values in a cache that could be reached by an untrusted host.
- Review cloud security groups as well as the VPS’s local firewall; either layer can accidentally publish the port.
- After every network or service change, verify the actual listening address rather than trusting the intended configuration.
If SELinux is enforcing and Apache must connect to a remote Memcached server, the MediaWiki documentation identifies the httpd_can_network_memcache boolean as the relevant access control. Enable only the policy required by your design, and keep the network restriction in place.
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- Check the daemon. Confirm the service is active and listening on the intended private address and port.
- Check the firewall. From the application host, ensure the private connection is allowed; from an unrelated public host, ensure it is denied.
- Check the PHP web runtime. Confirm that the selected pure-PHP client or PECL extension is visible to the PHP process serving MediaWiki, not only to the CLI binary.
- Check MediaWiki output. Load the wiki and inspect its status or debug output for cache connection errors. Review the web server and PHP error logs at the same time.
- Exercise normal work. Read a page, log in, and make a controlled edit. This verifies object reads and, if sessions are involved, the path used by authenticated requests.
- Watch resource behavior. Observe memory use, cache evictions, database load, and response times over a representative period. A cache that constantly evicts objects or exhausts RAM needs a different limit or architecture.
Do not promise a fixed percentage improvement. Results depend on the wiki’s workload, PHP bytecode caching, APCu use, database latency, cache size, and whether one server or several are sharing the cache.
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“Class Memcached not found” or an extension-loading error
- The PHP client is not installed for the PHP version used by the web server.
- The extension is enabled for CLI PHP but not for PHP-FPM or Apache.
- The web service was not restarted after installation.
- The configuration selected a client that is not present.
Identify the web runtime’s PHP version, install the matching client, restart that runtime, and verify again from a web request.
Connection refused
- Memcached is stopped or failed to start.
- The daemon is listening on a different port or address.
- The service configuration was changed but not reloaded.
- A local firewall rule blocks the connection.
Check the service status and listener first. Compare the effective endpoint with $wgMemCachedServers; one character of address or port mismatch is enough to produce a refusal.
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Connection timeouts to a separate node
Verify private routing, cloud security groups, the cache host’s firewall, and the daemon’s bind address. Permit the application hosts specifically rather than opening the port broadly. A timeout from the public internet is not a valid test of an intended private path and should normally be expected.
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The wiki works from the shell but not through the web server
This almost always indicates different PHP runtimes, environment variables, service permissions, or SELinux policy. Compare the module list and PHP version seen by the web process, then inspect the web server’s error log. For Unix sockets, also check that the web-service user can access the socket path.
Intermittent session-loss errors
If sessions are stored in Memcached and edits or logins intermittently fail with a session-loss message, check hostname mappings on every Memcached server. Inconsistent name resolution can make different requests reach different or invalid endpoints. Also verify that the cache is not being evicted aggressively and that every application host uses the same server list and session configuration.
High memory use or constant evictions
Memcached evicts objects when its configured limit is full. Increasing the limit may help only if the VPS has spare RAM. First account for PHP workers, the database, and the operating system; then measure whether the wiki benefits from a larger cache or from reducing optional cache types. Moving the cache to a separate private node is an architectural solution, not a substitute for firewalling.
APCu and Memcached: a practical choice
| Decision factor | APCu | Memcached |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One server’s PHP processes | Shared over a private network, including multiple application servers |
| Network exposure | No cache network listener required for local use | Requires a protected daemon endpoint; loopback is safest on one VPS |
| Operational complexity | Lower for a single-server wiki | Daemon, service persistence, firewall, and client configuration |
| PHP requirement | APCu extension and compatible PHP runtime | MediaWiki’s pure-PHP client or PECL memcached, plus sockets support |
| Best initial fit | Small, single-VPS installation | Shared or distributed object cache, or a planned separate cache tier |
| Failure impact | Local cache misses when the process or server restarts | Network failures can affect all application hosts; session use requires additional care |
The practical sequence for a new single-server wiki is to enable PHP bytecode caching, use APCu when a local cache is sufficient, and introduce Memcached when shared scope or a separate cache tier is worth the added controls.
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Keep configuration consistent
Record the endpoint, port, client choice, and MediaWiki version with the deployment. When adding a web server, give it the same private server list and matching PHP client. When changing MediaWiki versions, recheck removed or version-sensitive settings rather than carrying forward old snippets.
Plan for restarts and cache loss
Memcached is deliberately disposable. A restart or eviction cycle removes objects, so the database and MediaWiki must remain authoritative. Schedule service restarts with awareness that the first requests afterward may rebuild caches and place temporary extra load on PHP and the database. Never use Memcached as the only copy of uploads, page data, credentials, or other persistent information.
Measure before and after changes
Compare representative page requests, authenticated edits, database load, memory pressure, and cache evictions before claiming success. There is no general speedup percentage that applies to every MediaWiki VPS. A configuration that helps a read-heavy multi-server wiki may add needless complexity to a lightly used single-server site.
Disable or roll back the configuration
- Restore the previous cache setting in
LocalSettings.php, such as the cache type used before Memcached. - Reload or restart the web runtime so every PHP worker reads the change.
- Confirm that the wiki loads and that logins and edits work without Memcached.
- Only then stop and disable the daemon if it is no longer needed.
- Remove firewall allowances for a separate cache host when the service has been retired.
Because the cache is not authoritative, disabling it should cause cache misses rather than data loss. If disabling it changes login or edit behavior, investigate session configuration separately instead of assuming ordinary object caching was the cause.
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