I began by discussing the core requirements for a distributed cache, like latency, consistency, and scalability. I proposed using a consistent hashing approach for partitioning data across nodes, along with a TTL mechanism for cache entries. The interviewer seemed engaged when I described how replication could be employed to enhance fault tolerance but pressed me further on managing cache invalidation and data consistency. I felt I lost some traction when I struggled to articulate a detailed strategy for handling cache misses effectively.

Although I covered key concepts like eviction policies and load balancing, I sensed the interviewer wasn't fully satisfied with my explanation of the consistency models. I provided examples, like read-after-write consistency, but the follow-up questions revealed gaps in my reasoning. Despite some solid moments, I felt like my performance on the more technical aspects wasn't as strong as it could have been, especially under time pressure. Overall, the interview felt mixed; while I demonstrated an understanding of the principles, I couldn't fully connect them to practical implementation steps.