How to Deploy Redis® – In-Memory Data Store

Redis® is an in-memory data store designed for low-latency access, supporting strings, lists, sets, sorted sets, streams, and pub/sub messaging. It is commonly used as a cache layer, message broker, and lightweight in-memory key-value database for high-throughput applications.

This article explains how to deploy Redis® with Docker Compose, enable data persistence, and secure it with a password.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need to:

• Have access to an Ubuntu 24.04-based server as a non-root user with sudo privileges.
• Install Docker and Docker Compose.

Set Up the Directory Structure and Environment Variables

In this section, you create a project directory for Redis® and define environment variables in a .env file that Docker Compose loads automatically.

1. Create the project directory.

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   $ mkdir -p ~/redis-stack/{data,conf}

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2. Navigate into the project directory.

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   $ cd ~/redis-stack

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3. Create a .env file to store the environment variables.

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   $ nano .env

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   Add the following variables:

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   REDIS_PASSWORD=STRONG_REDIS_PASSWORD
   REDIS_PORT=6379

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   Replace:

   • STRONG_REDIS_PASSWORD with a secure alphanumeric password.
   • REDIS_PORT with your preferred port (default: 6379).

   Save and close the file.

4. Create a Redis® configuration file.

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   $ nano conf/redis.conf

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   Add the following Redis settings:

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   bind 0.0.0.0
   protected-mode yes
   port 6379
   
   save 900 1
   save 300 10
   save 60 10000
   
   dir /data
   dbfilename dump.rdb
   
   appendonly yes
   appendfilename "appendonly.aof"

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   Save and close the file.

Prepare the Host System for Redis®

In this section, you configure the host system to support reliable Redis® operations. Redis® requires memory overcommit to be enabled. Without this setting, background save operations or replication may fail, and the container may exit unexpectedly.

1. Open the /etc/sysctl.conf file.

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   $ sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

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   Add the following line to enable memory overcommit.

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   vm.overcommit_memory = 1

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   Save and close the file.

2. Apply the updated kernel parameters.

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   $ sudo sysctl -p

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   Output:

   vm.overcommit_memory = 1

   This output confirms that the memory overcommit setting is active on your system.

Deploy with Docker Compose

In this section, you create the Docker Compose manifest that deploys Redis® with data persistence, loads your custom configuration file, and secures the server using a password defined in your .env file.

1. Create the Docker Compose manifest.

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   $ nano docker-compose.yaml

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   Add the following content:

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   services:
     redis:
       image: redis:7.2
       container_name: redis
       command: [
         "redis-server",
         "/usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf",
         "--requirepass", "${REDIS_PASSWORD}"
       ]
       ports:
         - "${REDIS_PORT}:6379"
       volumes:
         - "./data:/data"
         - "./conf/redis.conf:/usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf:ro"
       environment:
         - REDIS_PASSWORD=${REDIS_PASSWORD}
       restart: unless-stopped
   
       healthcheck:
         test: ["CMD", "redis-cli", "-a", "${REDIS_PASSWORD}", "PING"]
         interval: 10s
         timeout: 3s
         retries: 5
         start_period: 5s

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   Save and close the file.

   In this manifest:

   • services: Defines the containers managed by Docker Compose:
     • redis: Runs the Redis® server with persistence enabled and password authentication enforced.
   • image: Specifies the Redis® 7.2 container image.
   • container_name: Assigns a fixed container name for easier management.
   • command: Starts Redis® using your custom configuration file and applies the password using the --requirepass directive.
   • ports: Maps the container’s default Redis® port (6379) to the host using the value from your .env file.
   • volumes:
     • ./data persists Redis® data across container restarts.
     • ./conf/redis.conf injects your custom Redis® configuration file into the container.
   • environment: Exposes the Redis® password to the container runtime.
   • healthcheck: Monitors container health by running a password-authenticated PING every 10 seconds.
   • restart: unless-stopped: Ensures Redis® automatically restarts unless manually stopped.

2. Start the Redis® service.

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   $ docker compose up -d

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3. Verify that Redis® is running.

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   $ docker compose ps

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   Ensure that the output shows the Redis® container is healthy and running.

4. View logs if needed.

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   $ docker compose logs

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   For more information on managing a Docker Compose stack, see the How To Use Docker Compose article.

Verify Redis® Connectivity

In this section, you verify that your Redis® instance is reachable and accepting authenticated commands.

1. Install the Redis® CLI tool on the host.

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   $ sudo apt install redis-tools -y

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2. Test the connection by sending an authenticated PING command.

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   $ redis-cli -h REDIS_HOST -p REDIS_PORT -a REDIS_PASSWORD PING

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   Replace:

   • REDIS_HOST with the IP address of your server.
   • REDIS_PORT with the Redis® service port you configured.
   • REDIS_PASSWORD with the password you set for authentication.

   Output:

   PONG

   This confirms that Redis® is running, reachable, and correctly secured with your password.

Conclusion

You successfully deployed Redis® using Docker Compose with data persistence and password authentication. You configured the required environment variables, applied the necessary host settings, and launched Redis® with a custom configuration file. After verifying the container’s health and testing connectivity, the Redis® instance was fully operational and ready to use.