1. A method, including: receiving a request, from an application, to create to a custom application-defined cache; acquiring configuration information, from the application, wherein the configuration information includes a key manager having one or more key definitions; loading portions of the data, when not present in a cache store, and loading into the cache store using each of the key definitions for each portion of the loaded data; returning, to the application, a reference to the cache; and maintaining a plurality of additional custom application-defined caches for additional applications, wherein each additional application is supplied an additional reference to its particular cache.