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I'm confused. Redis is a cache with persistent backing option. This is a database. Have I missed something?

by SillyUsername 3y ago

shawabawa3 3y ago
Redis is a database It's often used as a cache because it does key-value storage in memory well
- SillyUsername 3y ago
  It rebranded in 2015. It used to describe itself as a cache (earlier revisions also declare themselves to be a memory store) https://web.archive.org/web/20150304014343/http://redis.io/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150304014343/http://redis.io/ I consider it to be cache first, "db" second, with true definition of db first being something that can execute SQL or SQL like statements (such as Cassandra's CQL). It's the same reason I don't call Cassandra a cache, although it can achieve the same result.
  - JohnBooty 3y ago
    true definition of db first being something that can execute SQL or SQL like statements Pedantic note: the term "database" existed long before the relational model or SQL existed. Many of the dominant databases of the 80s and 90s (dBase, etc) would not fit your invented definition. Additionally, a lot of "toy" databases like Access can execute SQL statements, so the ability to execute SQL statements isn't necessarily a great way to tell what's a "real" database. In practical terms, I do agree with you -- if somebody in 2023 is referring to "the database" in their app they had darn well better be talking about something robust and ACID-compliant like Postgres or whatever.
  - viralpraxis 3y ago
    Your definition does not make any sense. Imagine defining « prime numbers » as {2,3,5} set
- Zip3d 3y ago
  It didnt use to be and is a nosql db now
- patrec 3y ago
  > Redis is a database Do you have an example of an use case for which using Redis as a database works significantly better than using say Postgres or MySQL?
kristoff_it 3y ago
People think Redis is just a cache because the use the puggified version sold by AWS (elasticache). Enable persistence + AOF (the write ahead log) and you got yourself a database. You can also add your own data structures to Redis, not as a form of syntax sugar over KV pairs, but as a dynamic library that you can write in C/C++/Zig/Rust, where you have full control over the in-memory representation. But that's also another feature AWS takes away from you if you buy elasticache :^)
- VWWHFSfQ 3y ago
  I definitely don't consider redis a database since it's not acid compliant and any data you put in you have to be OK with losing. It's still just a cache to me.
  - kristoff_it 3y ago
    If you think stuff like mongo is any better than redis, you fell for the marketing friend :^)
    - VWWHFSfQ 3y ago
      We're talking about Redis

I'm confused. Redis is a cache with persistent backing option. This is a database. Have I missed something?

shawabawa3 3y ago

Redis is a database It's often used as a cache because it does key-value storage in memory well

SillyUsername 3y ago
It rebranded in 2015. It used to describe itself as a cache (earlier revisions also declare themselves to be a memory store) https://web.archive.org/web/20150304014343/http://redis.io/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150304014343/http://redis.io/ I consider it to be cache first, "db" second, with true definition of db first being something that can execute SQL or SQL like statements (such as Cassandra's CQL). It's the same reason I don't call Cassandra a cache, although it can achieve the same result.
- JohnBooty 3y ago
  true definition of db first being something that can execute SQL or SQL like statements Pedantic note: the term "database" existed long before the relational model or SQL existed. Many of the dominant databases of the 80s and 90s (dBase, etc) would not fit your invented definition. Additionally, a lot of "toy" databases like Access can execute SQL statements, so the ability to execute SQL statements isn't necessarily a great way to tell what's a "real" database. In practical terms, I do agree with you -- if somebody in 2023 is referring to "the database" in their app they had darn well better be talking about something robust and ACID-compliant like Postgres or whatever.
- viralpraxis 3y ago
  Your definition does not make any sense. Imagine defining « prime numbers » as {2,3,5} set
Zip3d 3y ago
It didnt use to be and is a nosql db now
patrec 3y ago
> Redis is a database Do you have an example of an use case for which using Redis as a database works significantly better than using say Postgres or MySQL?

kristoff_it 3y ago

People think Redis is just a cache because the use the puggified version sold by AWS (elasticache). Enable persistence + AOF (the write ahead log) and you got yourself a database. You can also add your own data structures to Redis, not as a form of syntax sugar over KV pairs, but as a dynamic library that you can write in C/C++/Zig/Rust, where you have full control over the in-memory representation. But that's also another feature AWS takes away from you if you buy elasticache :^)

VWWHFSfQ 3y ago
I definitely don't consider redis a database since it's not acid compliant and any data you put in you have to be OK with losing. It's still just a cache to me.
- kristoff_it 3y ago
  If you think stuff like mongo is any better than redis, you fell for the marketing friend :^)
  - VWWHFSfQ 3y ago
    We're talking about Redis