Databases & Data Storage
Redis
Definition
Redis (Remote Dictionary Server) is an in-memory data structure store, used as a database, cache, and message broker. It supports various data structures such as strings, hashes, lists, sets, and sorted sets.
Why It Matters
Because it stores data in RAM, Redis is exceptionally fast. This makes it a perfect choice for use cases that require microsecond latency, such as caching, real-time analytics, session stores, and high-speed leaderboards.
Contextual Example
To speed up a website, a developer might cache the results of expensive database queries in Redis. The next time the same query is needed, the result can be served instantly from Redis instead of hitting the slower database.
Common Misunderstandings
- While Redis is primarily an in-memory store, it can also persist data to disk to prevent data loss on restart.
- It is much more than a simple key-value store due to its support for various advanced data structures.