Installing Redis Software

Once all nodes are prepared with the operating system installed, network connectivity confirmed, and the installation package downloaded, you're ready to install Redis Software. This process creates the redislabs:redislabs user and group with the specific permissions (750) required for secure operation.

Warning:
Do not reduce permissions to 700. This configuration has not been tested and is not supported.

This article covers the full installation process, including the General install flow, detailed Installation prompts with explanations, available Automating Installation (Silent Mode), and key Post-installation considerations to make sure your deployment is successful.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation:

• Complete System and Infrastructure Requirements

• Download the Redis Software installation package

• Ensure you have sudo or root access on each node

• Set umask to 0022 (required for proper file permissions)

• Consider disabling swap for production systems 

Step 1: Download and Distribute the Installation Package

• Download the Redis Software installation .tar package.

• Verify ‌package integrity (checksum validation recommended)

• Copy it to each node in the cluster.

• On each node, extract the package using:tar vxf <installation-package>.tar

• Ensure the installation package is obtained from official Redis sources

Step 2: Run the Installer Script

• From the extracted directory, run the installer script: sudo ./install.sh -y

• The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to all installation prompts, using the default (recommended) values.

• This is the preferred approach for most installations.

Installation Prompts Explained

If you choose not to use the -y flag during installation, you’ll be prompted to answer several questions. Below is a breakdown of each prompt and what it means:

Linux Swap File

Prompt:
Swap is enabled. Do you want to proceed? [Y/N]

Explanation:

Redis Software performs best with swap disabled to maintain full memory control.
Answering Y allows the installation to continue, but it’s not ideal for production systems.

Automatic OS Tuning

Prompt:
Do you want to automatically tune the system for best performance? [Y/N]

Explanation:
Answer Y to let the installer tune system settings optimized for Redis.
Details logged to: /opt/redislabs/sbin/systune.sh

Network Time Configuration (NTP)

Prompt:
Do you want to set up NTP time synchronization now? [Y/N]

Explanation:
Redis requires synchronized time across all nodes.
You can allow the installer to set up NTP or configure it manually beforehand.

Firewall Port Configuration

Prompt:
Would you like to open RedisLabs cluster ports on the default firewall zone? [Y/N]

Explanation:

Redis Software requires several ports for cluster communication and database access:

• 8443: Web UI

• 9443: REST API

• 10000–19999: Database endpoints

• 20000–29999: Database shards

You can:

• Answer Y: if you're using standard firewall rules

• Answer N: if you need to configure custom rules manually

Note: Consult your network/security team before proceeding.

Installation Verification (rlcheck)

Prompt:
Would you like to run rlcheck to verify proper configuration? [Y/N]

Explanation:
rlcheck validates system readiness.

You can run it during installation or later with: /opt/redislabs/bin/rlcheck

User or Group Already Exists

Prompt:
The user/group 'redislabs' already exists. Would you like to proceed? [Y/N]

Explanation:
This may indicate a partial or previous install.
Make sure the user and group are properly set up to avoid permission conflicts.

Automating Installation (Silent Mode)

If you prefer to customize installation behavior without interactive prompts, use one of these options:

Option 1: Automatically Answer "Yes" to All  

sudo ./install.sh -y

This will accept all defaults and proceed without user input.

Option 2: Use an Answer File

• Create a plain text file with your answers:ignore_swap=no systune=yes ntp=no firewall=no rlcheck=yes ignore_existing_osuser_osgroup=no
• Run the installer with the answer file: sudo ./install.sh -c /path/to/your/answer-file

Optional Customizations

• You may customize installation directories or specify different users and groups.

• If you're using Ubuntu or RHEL, refer to our OS-specific guides for additional tuning and setup instructions.

Post-Installation Verification

• Check that the install succeeded using the output or by running rlcheck.

• If you're working in an air-gapped environment, follow our Offline Installation Guide for additional steps.

Initial System Validation

• Check logs: /opt/redislabs/log/supervisord.log for errors

• Verify user/group: Confirm redislabs:redislabs was created

• Test connectivity: Ensure all required ports are open between nodes

Common Issues and Solutions

• Permission errors: Ensure umask was set to 0022

• Service startup issues: Check system resources and firewall rules

• Network problems: Confirm all cluster nodes can communicate over required ports

Next Steps

• Cluster Formation: Join this node to a cluster or create a new one

• Security Configuration: Set up users, passwords, and RBAC

• Database Creation: Create your first Redis database
   

Onboarding Progress

Previous: System and Infrastructure Requirements
Next: Choosing a Cluster Name

Return to the Redis Software Onboarding Overview to view all steps.