Redis configuration

Redis can be used for faster session data storage and retrieval. Here is how to set it up.

Prerequisites:

• Redis must be running and available by IP address.
• Authenticated access is assumed. You will need to know your Redis authentication string before continuing.
• Be able to edit the webserver .htconfig.php file

Step 1: Edit the .htconfig.php file

The webserver app is configured using a .htconfig.php file in the root folder of the installation. Navigate to your installation folder and open the .htconfig.php file with your preferred editor.

Append the following code to the bottom of the file.

// "Redis" must be capitalised here.
App::$config['system']['session_save_handler'] = "Redis";
App::$config['system']['session_save_path'] = "redis://IP-ADDRESS:6379?auth=PASSWORD";

Replace IP-ADDRESS with the IP address Redis is listening on, and PASSWORD with the authentication string used to access Redis.

Step 2: Verify that Redis is receiving the sessions.

This assumes that Redis is listening on IP 127.0.0.1. Update to reflect the correct IP of your Redis service.

redis-cli -h IP-ADDRESS

The command will look something like this, and your command prompt will change.

redis-cli -h 127.0.0.1
127.0.0.1:6379>

In order to access the session keys, Redis will require password authorization to be submitted beforehand.
Replace "PASSWORD" in the command below with the Redis password.

auth PASSWORD

It will look something like this, with a small "OK" message at the end to confirm.

127.0.0.1:6379> auth dkdiidlsdifnlsvniefwnciwncl3j92h3vchlcnal3ijcli439d3gflvn:
ok

Now, you can view the session keys with this command:

keys *

It will show you all the session identifiers currently stored in Redis:

127.0.0.1:6379> keys *
  1) "e9310b5ee224b70f8df649f6938c15d9"
  2) "d2abb4549333b81c9a119dbb639c0357"
  3) "8cc64f59b80fc95e4ed43078048dcabb"
127.0.0.1:6379>