Default Redis database versions

When you upgrade an existing database or create a new one, it uses the default Redis version (default_redis_version) unless you specify the database version explicitly with redis_version in the REST API or rladmin upgrade db.

Redis Enterprise Software v6.x includes two Redis database versions: 6.0 and 6.2. As of version 7.2, Redis Enterprise Software includes three Redis database versions.

To view available Redis database versions:

  • In the admin console, see Redis database versions on the Cluster > Configuration screen.

  • Send a GET /nodes REST API request and see supported_database_versions in the response.

The default Redis database version differs between Redis Enterprise releases as follows:

Redis
Enterprise		 Bundled Redis
DB versions		 Default DB version
(upgraded/new databases)
7.2 6.0, 6.2, 7.2 7.2
6.4.2 6.0, 6.2 6.2
6.2.x 6.0, 6.2 6.0

  • v6.2.x: default_redis_version is 6.0.

    Setting redis_upgrade_policy to major enforces this default. However, if you change redis_upgrade_policy to latest, this enforces 6.2 as the default.

    The upgrade policy is only relevant for Redis Enterprise Software versions 6.2.4 through 6.2.18. For more information about upgrade policies, see the 6.2 version of this document.

  • v6.4.2: default_redis_version is 6.2.

    Both major and latest upgrade policies use this new default.

    You can override the default version with rladmin tune cluster default_redis_version <version>; however, this might limit future upgrade options.

  • v7.2: default_redis_version is 7.2.

    Both major and latest upgrade policies use this new default.

Upgrade prerequisites

Before upgrading a database:

  • Review the relevant release notes for any preparation instructions.

  • Verify that the database version meets the minimums specified earlier.

    To determine the database version:

    • Use the admin console to open the Configuration tab for the database and select The About database button About.

    • (Optional) Use the rladmin status extra all command to display configuration details:

      rladmin status extra all

      When the database compatibility version is outdated, OLD REDIS VERSION appears in the command output.

  • Verify the cluster is fully upgraded and operational.

    Use the admin console to display the Configuration tab for the cluster. The tab displays the cluster version information and the Redis database compatibility version.

  • To avoid data loss during the upgrade, back up your data.

    You can export the data to an external location, enable replication, or enable persistence.

    When choosing how to back up data, keep the following in mind:

    • To reduce downtime when replication is enabled, a failover is performed before restarting the primary (master) database.

    • When persistence is enabled without replication, the database is unavailable during restart because the data is restored from the persistence file. AOF persistence restoration is slower than snapshot restoration.

Upgrade database

To upgrade a database:

  1. (Optional) Back up the database to minimize the risk of data loss.

  2. Use rladmin to upgrade the database. During the upgrade process, the database will restart without losing any data.

    • To upgrade a database without modules:

      rladmin upgrade db <database name | database ID>

    • If the database has modules enabled and new module versions are available in the cluster, run rladmin upgrade db with additional parameters to upgrade the module versions when you upgrade the database. See Upgrade modules for more details.

    • To upgrade the database to a version other than the default version, use the redis_version parameter:

      rladmin upgrade db <database name | database ID> redis_version <version>

  3. Check the Redis database compatibility version for the database to confirm the upgrade.

    To do so:

    • Use the admin console to open the Configuration tab for the database and select The About database button About.

    • Use rladmin status databases extra all to display a list of the databases in your cluster and their current Redis database compatibility version:

      rladmin status databases extra all

    Verify that the Redis version is set to the expected value.