Microsoft Azure Cache for Redis is based on the popular open source Redis Cache. It gives users access to a secure, dedicated Redis cache instance, managed by Microsoft. Users get the best of both worlds, the rich Redis feature set and ecosystem, and reliable hosting and monitoring from Microsoft.

Azure Cache for Redis is available in the following tiers:

• Basic – Single node, multiple sizes, ideal for development/test and non-critical workloads. The basic tier has no SLA.
• Standard – A replicated cache in a two node Primary/Secondary configuration managed by Microsoft, with a high availability SLA.
• Premium – The new Premium tier includes all the Standard-tier features and more, such as better performance compared to Basic or Standard-tier caches, bigger workloads, data persistence, and enhanced network security.

Azure Cache for Redis helps your application stay responsive even as user load increases. It does so by leveraging the low latency, high-throughput capabilities of the Redis engine. This separate distributed cache layer allows your data tier to scale independently for more efficient use of compute resources in your application layer.