Artifact Cache

Artifact Cache eliminates the cost of downloading build dependencies over the WAN by caching them at Develocity Edge nodes deployed in proximity of your CI infrastructure.

In ephemeral CI environments where agents are frequently created and destroyed, local dependency caches are lost between builds. Artifact Cache acts as an intermediary between your builds and external repositories (such as Maven Central or npm registries) or internal artifact managers (such as Artifactory), serving cached dependencies from a nearby Edge node instead of re-downloading them each time.

To use Artifact Cache, the Artifact Cache entitlement must be enabled on your Develocity license.

For the complete reference and setup instructions, consult the Artifact Cache CLI User Manual.

How It Works

The Artifact Cache CLI runs on CI agents and communicates with Develocity Edge nodes through a restore-build-store cycle:

  1. Before the build starts, the CLI queries the nearest Edge node for a cached image of the job’s dependencies and downloads only what is missing locally.

  2. The build tool runs using the restored dependencies.

  3. After the build completes, the CLI identifies new or changed artifacts, uploads them to the Edge node, and updates the image for future builds.

The CLI uses Edge discovery to connect to the optimal Edge node based on the CI agent user’s configured location. You can also connect directly to a specific Edge node using the --dv-edge option.

 Artifact Cache and Setup Cache are delivered through the same CLI and Edge infrastructure but target different aspects of build performance. Artifact Cache focuses on build dependencies, while Setup Cache targets the build initialization phase.

Key Administrative Tasks

For detailed step-by-step instructions, refer to the following sections in the Artifact Cache CLI User Manual:

Requirements

  • A Develocity license with the Artifact Cache entitlement enabled

  • At least one Develocity Edge node deployed near your CI infrastructure

  • Java 21 or later installed on CI agents

  • A Develocity access key with "Read and write Build Cache data" permission

The Artifact Cache CLI supports Gradle 8.1+, Apache Maven 3.6.2+, and npm 5+.

For full requirements including version compatibility and Edge storage sizing, see the System Requirements page.

Technical Notes

  • Permissions: CI agent users require a Develocity access key with the "Read and write Build Cache data" permission.

  • Connectivity: CI agents must have network access to both the Develocity server (HTTP/1) and a Develocity Edge node (HTTP/2). Co-locate CI runners and Edge nodes in the same availability zone to minimize latency.

  • Error handling: The Artifact Cache CLI never fails a CI build due to cache-related errors. If an error occurs, the CLI logs it and exits with code 0, allowing the build to continue without caching.