Re_Backend/docs/REDIS_SETUP_WINDOWS.md

Redis Setup for Windows

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Redis Version Requirements

BullMQ requires Redis version 5.0.0 or higher.

❌ DO NOT USE: Microsoft Archive Redis (https://github.com/microsoftarchive/redis/releases)

• This is outdated and only provides Redis 3.x
• Version 3.0.504 is NOT compatible with BullMQ
• You will get errors: Redis version needs to be greater or equal than 5.0.0

✅ USE ONE OF THESE METHODS INSTEAD:

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Method 1: Using Memurai (Recommended for Windows) ⭐

Memurai is a Redis-compatible server built specifically for Windows with full Redis 6.x+ compatibility.

Why Memurai?

• ✅ Native Windows support - Runs as a Windows service
• ✅ Redis 6.x+ compatible - Full feature support
• ✅ Easy installation - Just install and run
• ✅ Free for development - Free tier available
• ✅ Production-ready - Used in enterprise environments

Installation Steps:

1. Download Memurai:

   • Visit: https://www.memurai.com/get-memurai
   • Download the Developer Edition (free)

2. Install:

   • Run the installer (Memurai-*.exe)
   • Choose default options
   • Memurai will install as a Windows service and start automatically

3. Verify Installation:

   # Check if service is running
   Get-Service Memurai
   # Should show: Running
   
   # Test connection
   memurai-cli ping
   # Should return: PONG
   
   # Check version (should be 6.x or 7.x)
   memurai-cli --version
   

4. Configuration:

   • Default port: 6379
   • Connection string: redis://localhost:6379
   • Service runs automatically on Windows startup
   • No additional configuration needed for development

Method 2: Using Docker Desktop (Alternative) 🐳

If you have Docker Desktop installed, this is the easiest method to get Redis 7.x.

Installation Steps:

1. Install Docker Desktop (if not already installed):

   • Download from: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
   • Install and start Docker Desktop

2. Start Redis Container:

   # Run Redis 7.x in a container
   docker run -d --name redis-tat -p 6379:6379 redis:7-alpine
   
   # Or if you want it to restart automatically:
   docker run -d --name redis-tat -p 6379:6379 --restart unless-stopped redis:7-alpine
   

3. Verify:

   # Check if container is running
   docker ps | Select-String redis
   
   # Check Redis version
   docker exec redis-tat redis-server --version
   # Should show: Redis server v=7.x.x
   
   # Test connection
   docker exec redis-tat redis-cli ping
   # Should return: PONG
   

4. Stop/Start Redis:

   # Stop Redis
   docker stop redis-tat
   
   # Start Redis
   docker start redis-tat
   
   # Remove container (if needed)
   docker rm -f redis-tat
   

Method 3: Using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

1. Enable WSL2:

   wsl --install
   

2. Install Redis in WSL:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install redis-server
   sudo service redis-server start
   

3. Verify:

   redis-cli ping
   # Should return: PONG
   

Quick Test

After starting Redis, test the connection:

# If you have redis-cli or memurai-cli
redis-cli ping

# Or use telnet
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName localhost -Port 6379

Troubleshooting

❌ Error: "Redis version needs to be greater or equal than 5.0.0 Current: 3.0.504"

Problem: You're using Microsoft Archive Redis (version 3.x) which is too old for BullMQ.

Solution:

1. Stop the old Redis:

   # Find and stop the old Redis process
   Get-Process redis-server -ErrorAction SilentlyStop | Stop-Process -Force
   

2. Uninstall/Remove old Redis (if installed as service):

   # Check if running as service
   Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*redis*"}
   

3. Install one of the recommended methods:

   • Option A: Install Memurai (Recommended) - See Method 1 above
   • Option B: Use Docker - See Method 2 above
   • Option C: Use WSL2 - See Method 3 above

4. Verify new Redis version:

   # For Memurai
   memurai-cli --version
   # Should show: 6.x or 7.x
   
   # For Docker
   docker exec redis-tat redis-server --version
   # Should show: Redis server v=7.x.x
   

5. Restart your backend server:

   # The TAT worker will now detect the correct Redis version
   npm run dev
   

Port Already in Use

# Check what's using port 6379
netstat -ano | findstr :6379

# Kill the process if needed (replace <PID> with actual process ID)
taskkill /PID <PID> /F

# Or if using old Redis, stop it:
Get-Process redis-server -ErrorAction SilentlyStop | Stop-Process -Force

Service Not Starting (Memurai)

# Start Memurai service
net start Memurai

# Check service status
Get-Service Memurai

# Check logs
Get-EventLog -LogName Application -Source Memurai -Newest 10

# Restart service
Restart-Service Memurai

Docker Container Not Starting

# Check Docker is running
docker ps

# Check Redis container logs
docker logs redis-tat

# Restart container
docker restart redis-tat

# Remove and recreate if needed
docker rm -f redis-tat
docker run -d --name redis-tat -p 6379:6379 redis:7-alpine

Cannot Connect to Redis

# Test connection
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName localhost -Port 6379

# For Memurai
memurai-cli ping

# For Docker
docker exec redis-tat redis-cli ping

Configuration

Environment Variable

Add to your .env file:

REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379

Default Settings

• Port: 6379
• Host: localhost
• Connection String: redis://localhost:6379
• No authentication required for local development
• Default configuration works out of the box

Verification After Setup

After installing Redis, verify it's working:

# 1. Check Redis version (must be 5.0+)
# For Memurai:
memurai-cli --version

# For Docker:
docker exec redis-tat redis-server --version

# 2. Test connection
# For Memurai:
memurai-cli ping
# Expected: PONG

# For Docker:
docker exec redis-tat redis-cli ping
# Expected: PONG

# 3. Check if backend can connect
# Start your backend server and check logs:
npm run dev

# Look for:
# [TAT Queue] Connected to Redis
# [TAT Worker] Connected to Redis at redis://127.0.0.1:6379
# [TAT Worker] Redis version: 7.x.x (or 6.x.x)
# [TAT Worker] Worker is ready and listening for jobs

Quick Fix: Migrating from Old Redis

If you already installed Microsoft Archive Redis (3.x), follow these steps:

1. Stop old Redis:

   # Close the PowerShell window running redis-server.exe
   # Or kill the process:
   Get-Process redis-server -ErrorAction SilentlyStop | Stop-Process -Force
   

2. Choose a new method (recommended: Memurai or Docker)

3. Install and verify (see methods above)

4. Update .env (if needed):

   REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379
   

5. Restart backend:

   npm run dev
   

Production Considerations

• ✅ Use Redis authentication in production
• ✅ Configure persistence (RDB/AOF)
• ✅ Set up monitoring and alerts
• ✅ Consider Redis Cluster for high availability
• ✅ Use managed Redis service (Redis Cloud, AWS ElastiCache, etc.)

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Summary: Recommended Setup for Windows

Method	Ease of Setup	Performance	Recommended For
Memurai ⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	Most Users
Docker	⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	Docker Users
WSL2	⭐⭐⭐ Moderate	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent	Linux Users
❌ Microsoft Archive Redis	❌ Don't Use	❌ Too Old	None - Outdated

⭐ Recommended: Memurai for easiest Windows-native setup, or Docker if you already use Docker Desktop.