Redis In-Depth Study Notes
1. Introduction to Redis
Redis (REmote DIctionary Server) is an open-source, in-memory key-value store used for
high-performance applications.
Key Features:
- In-memory: Fast access as all data is stored in RAM
- Persistence: Optional RDB snapshots or AOF logs for durability
- Versatile data structures: Strings, Lists, Hashes, Sets, Sorted Sets, etc.
- Use cases: Caching, session management, message brokering, real-time analytics
Installation:
- Linux: sudo apt install redis-server
- Docker: docker run --name redis -p 6379:6379 -d redis
- CLI Tool: redis-cli to interact with the server
2. Redis Data Types (Deep Dive)
Strings:
- SET key value
- GET key
- INCR key, DECR key
- Use case: counters, tokens, cache values
Lists:
- LPUSH key value, RPUSH key value
- LPOP key, RPOP key
- LRANGE key start stop
- Use case: job queues, logs
Sets:
- SADD key member
- SMEMBERS key
- SINTER, SUNION, SDIFF for set operations
- Use case: unique values, tags, roles
Hashes:
- HSET key field value
- HGET key field
- HGETALL key
- Use case: storing user profiles
Sorted Sets:
- ZADD key score member
- ZRANGE key start stop WITHSCORES
- Use case: leaderboards, rankings
Bitmaps:
- SETBIT key offset value
- GETBIT key offset
- Use case: tracking binary states (e.g., login days)
HyperLogLog:
- PFADD key element
- PFCOUNT key
- Use case: approximate cardinality (e.g., unique visitors)
Streams:
- XADD key * field1 value1 ...
- XREAD COUNT 2 STREAMS key 0
- Use case: log collection, real-time processing
3. Expiry, Eviction & Persistence
Expiry:
- SET key value EX 60 (expires in 60s)
- EXPIRE key seconds
- TTL key
Eviction Policies:
- Configured in redis.conf or via CONFIG SET
- allkeys-lru, volatile-lru, allkeys-random, noeviction
Persistence:
- RDB: point-in-time snapshots (SAVE, BGSAVE)
- AOF: logs each write (append-only)
- Hybrid persistence also possible
4. Transactions & Lua Scripting
Transactions:
- MULTI ... EXEC: Queues and executes atomically
- WATCH key: Monitor changes and prevent race conditions
Lua Scripting:
- EVAL "return redis.call('SET', KEYS[1], ARGV[1])" 1 key value
- Atomic and optimized operations
- Avoids race conditions and improves performance
5. Pub/Sub Messaging
Publish/Subscribe:
- SUBSCRIBE channel
- PUBLISH channel message
- Used for real-time event distribution (e.g., chat systems)
- Fire-and-forget, no message persistence
6. Redis as a Cache
Why Redis is ideal for caching:
- High speed, TTL support, data eviction
Cache Patterns:
- Write-through: write to cache and DB together
- Write-around: write to DB only, cache on read
- Write-back: write to cache first, update DB later
Eviction Strategies:
- LRU (Least Recently Used)
- LFU (Least Frequently Used)
- FIFO (First In, First Out)
7. Redis for Distributed Systems
Redis Sentinel:
- Provides high availability
- Automatic failover, monitoring, notifications
Redis Cluster:
- Data partitioned across multiple nodes (sharding)
- Uses hash slots (0–16383)
- Cluster-aware client libraries are required
8. Production Considerations
Security:
- AUTH with password
- ACLs (Access Control Lists)
- Network restrictions via bind and protected-mode
Monitoring:
- INFO command for server statistics
- MONITOR for debugging
- RedisInsight GUI for visual monitoring
Backup & Restore:
- SAVE and BGSAVE
- AOF rewriting with BGREWRITEAOF
9. Redis with Java (Spring Boot)
- Add Redis dependency (Lettuce or Jedis)
- RedisTemplate<String, Object> for key-value operations
Example:
@Autowired
private StringRedisTemplate redisTemplate;
redisTemplate.opsForValue().set("name", "Alice");
String name = redisTemplate.opsForValue().get("name");
Caching with Spring Boot:
- @Cacheable, @CachePut, @CacheEvict
- Configure cacheManager in Redis config
10. Advanced Use Cases
Distributed Locking (RedLock Algorithm):
- SET key value NX PX 3000 for lock
- Validate before releasing the lock
Rate Limiting:
- INCR and EXPIRE for per-user rate control
- Use Lua for atomic counters
Streams for Message Queues:
- Create consumer groups with XGROUP
- XREADGROUP for consuming messages
Modules:
- RedisBloom: Bloom filters, Count-min sketch
- RedisGraph, RedisJSON, RedisTimeSeries for advanced data
Practice Projects
1. URL Shortener using Redis hashes and TTL
2. Leaderboard using Sorted Sets
3. Chat app with Pub/Sub or Streams
4. API Rate Limiter with counters and expiry
5. Session management using Redis Hashes in Spring Boot or Flask
