Various cache property settings follow. Ensure that all property values are string values.
The name of the cache to associate with an initial context instance can be specified with this property.
It is possible to create multiple InitialContext instances, each operating on the name space of a different name server. By default, objects from each bootstrap address are cached separately, since they each involve independent name spaces and name collisions could occur if they used the same cache. The provider URL specified when the initial context is created by default serves as the basis for the cache name. With this property, a JNDI client can specify a cache name. Valid options for cache names follow:
| Valid options | Resulting cache behavior |
| providerURL (default) | Use the value for java.naming.provider.url property as the basis for the cache name. Cache names are based on the bootstrap host and port specified in the URL. The boostrap host is normalized to a fully qualfied name, if possible. For example, "corbaname:iiop:server1:2809#some/starting/context" and "corbaloc:iiop://server1" are normalized to the same cache name. If no provider URL is specified, a default cache name is used. |
| Any string | Use the specified string as the cache name. You can use any arbitrary string with a value other than "providerURL" as a cache name. |
Turn caching on or off and clear an existing cache with this property.
By default, when an InitialContext is instantiated, it is associated with an existing cache or, if one does not exist, a new one is created. An existing cache is used with its existing contents. In some circumstances, this behavior is not desirable. For example, when objects that are looked up change frequently, they can become stale in the cache. Other options are available. The following table lists these other options along with the corresponding property value.
| Valid values | Resulting cache behavior |
| populated (default) | Use a cache with the specified name. If the cache already exists, leave existing cache entries in the cache; otherwise, create a new cache. |
| cleared | Use a cache with the specified name. If the cache already exists, clear all cache entries from the cache; otherwise, create a new cache. |
| none | Do not cache. If this option is specified, the cache name is irrelevant. Therefore, this option will not disable a cache that is already associated with other InitialContext instances. The InitialContext that is instantiated is not associated with any cache. |
Impose a limit to the age of a cache with this property.
By default, cached objects remain in the cache for the life of the process or until cleared with the com.ibm.websphere.naming.jndicache.cacheobject property set to "cleared". This property enables a JNDI client to set the maximum life of a cache. This property differs from the maxentrylife property (below) in that the entire cache is cleared when the cache lifetime is reached. The table below lists the various maxcachelife values and their affect on cache behavior:
| Valid options | Resulting cache behavior |
| 0 (default) | Make the cache lifetime unlimited. |
| Positive integer | Set the maximum lifetime of the entire cache, in minutes, to the specified value. When the maximum lifetime for the cache is reached, the next attempt to read any entry from the cache causes the cache to be cleared |
Impose a limit to the age of individual cache entries with this property.
By default, cached objects remain in the cache for the life of the process or until cleared with the com.ibm.websphere.naming.jndicache.cacheobject property set to cleared. This property enables a JNDI client to set the maximum lifetime of individual cache entries. This property differs from the maxcachelife property in that individual entries are refreshed individually as their maximum lifetime reached. This might avoid any noticeable change in performance that might occur if the whole cache is cleared at once. The table below lists the various maxentrylife values and their effect on cache behavior:
| Valid options | Resulting cache behavior |
| 0 (default) | Lifetime of cache entries is unlimited. |
| Positive integer | Set the maximum lifetime of individual cache entries, in minutes, to the specified value. When the maximum lifetime for an entry is reached, the next attempt to read the entry from the cache causes the individual cache entry to refresh. |
Related tasks
Developing applications that use JNDI