A cache server is provided in a network for storing Java objects for retrieval by one or multiple application servers. Application server(s) are configured to request an object from the cache server, rather than requesting the Java object directly from a database, so as to reduce processing load on the database and free up database resources. Responsive to a request for a Java object from an application server, e.g., in an HTTP request, the cache server determines if the object is stored in memory and if so, serializes the requested object and sends the serialized object to the requesting server, e.g., in an HTTP response. The requesting server then deserializes the Java object. If the object is not stored in memory, the cache server instantiates the object (typically by requesting the object from the database), serializes the instantiated object and sends it to the requesting server. Cache coherency methods are also provided.