Data refresh and cache
CloudPouch downloads AWS cost data once, caches it as JSON files on your disk, and reuses it — so reopening a report is instant and does not re-query the AWS Cost Explorer API. The trade-off: cached data can go stale, and CloudPouch tells you when it does.
How the cache works
Section titled “How the cache works”The cache is keyed by AWS profile, time period, and screen. Analyzing the same account for the same month reads from disk; switching to a different profile or timeframe triggers a fresh download for that combination. Nothing is shared with any server — cached data stays on your machine, in the locations listed under Local files.
Caching matters for more than speed. Cost Explorer API calls are billed per request by AWS, so re-reading a local file instead of re-querying the API keeps that line item small no matter how often you flip between reports.
Freshness warnings
Section titled “Freshness warnings”When you open a screen whose cached data is outdated, CloudPouch notifies you and asks whether to download fresh data. The check runs per screen and per context, and the staleness calculation is timezone-aware, so it judges data age against your local date rather than UTC.
You can also refresh manually from the UI at any time. CloudPouch shows a loading screen while the download runs.
When to refresh
Section titled “When to refresh”Refresh when:
- You need the latest cost data. Keep in mind that AWS billing data itself lags: Cost Explorer typically reflects usage with a delay of up to about 24 hours, so a refresh gives you the freshest data AWS has, not real-time spend.
- You changed something in the account (deleted volumes, resized instances) and want the resource-level insights to reflect it.
- CloudPouch reports that cached data is stale.
- CloudPouch was just updated — see below.
After a CloudPouch update
Section titled “After a CloudPouch update”After an application update, CloudPouch refreshes cost data automatically. Cached files written by an older version may not match the new version’s data format, so re-downloading avoids compatibility problems. If a screen still looks wrong right after an update, run a manual refresh for that profile and timeframe.