Production checklist
Redis / Valkey production checklist: 5 checks before launch
5 checks for running Redis / Valkey in production: 1 must-do, 3 should-dos and 1 good-to-have. Each one says why it matters, how to verify it and where the docs are.
Updated . Every check links the vendor’s own docs.
Must do (1)
Require authentication (ACL users) and keep it off the public internet
Redis trusts every client that can connect; exposed instances get wiped or used to run code.
Verify from the command line
From outside your private network the connection should fail. From inside, an unauthenticated PING should be refused with NOAUTH.
redis-cli -h <host> -p 6379 ping
Should do (3)
Use TLS between the app and Redis
Session tokens and cached data otherwise travel in plain text.
Check the config
Your app’s Redis URL should start with rediss:// (two s’s), and redis-cli should connect with --tls.
redis-cli --tls -h <host> -p <port> --user <user> --askpass ping
Set maxmemory and an eviction policy that fits your use
Without it Redis grows until the host runs out of memory; use allkeys-lru for caches, noeviction for queues.
Verify from the command line
maxmemory should be non-zero and the policy should fit the data: allkeys-lru for a cache, noeviction for queues. Managed services set these in their console.
redis-cli CONFIG GET maxmemory redis-cli CONFIG GET maxmemory-policy
Block dangerous commands for the app user with ACLs
A compromised app user that can run FLUSHALL, CONFIG or DEBUG can wipe or reconfigure the server.
Verify from the command line
The app user’s rules should exclude dangerous commands (for example +@all -@dangerous) and the default user should be off or password-protected.
redis-cli ACL GETUSER <app-user> # example rule: # ACL SETUSER <app-user> on ><password> ~* &* +@all -@dangerous
Good to have (1)
Choose persistence on purpose: AOF or RDB for data you keep, none for a pure cache
The defaults may not match what you store; queues and sessions need to survive a restart, a cache doesn’t.
Verify from the command line
appendonly and save should match what you store: AOF (yes) or RDB snapshots for data you keep, both off for a pure cache.
redis-cli CONFIG GET appendonly redis-cli CONFIG GET save
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