Installation

Getting started with the Ortus Redis Extension

Redis Setup

You will need to install a Redis Server separately. Your Redis cluster can be a single node, or multiple nodes. The nodes can be installed along side your web servers, or on a server farm of their own-- it's entirely up to you. You can also use Docker to spin up a Redis instance. You can use the following Docker compose file for quick testing:

version: '3'
services:

  redis_standalone:
    image: redis:6
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"
  redis_insight:
    image: redislabs/redisinsight:latest
    ports:
      - 8001:8001

  redis_cluster:
    image: grokzen/redis-cluster:6.2.0
    ports:
      - 7000-7005:7000-7005
    environment:
      - IP=0.0.0.0

Using Docker, this will spin up a standalone Redis instance, a Redis cluster, and Redis insight for database inspection.

Redis Insight is a great product that it will give you full insights into your running Redis server or cluster. It will help you analyze issues, inspect keys, values and much more. Just navigate to the assigned port (8001) and start inspecting!

Redis Insight

RedisInsight | The Best Redis GUIRedis

Lucee Setup

The Redis extension is installed as a Lucee extension into any Lucee Server version 5.1.0 and above. The extension has to be installed at the server level context.

If installed in the server context, you can create server-level caches that are available to all web contexts in Lucee. The driver will also be available to all web contexts to add their own local caches or override caches if they need too as well.

ForgeBox Extension Provider

In your Lucee Administrator under Extension > Providers paste in your Ortus provider URL (https://www.forgebox.io) and click save. Once added, the new provider URL should show up in the list as verified.

Lucee has added ForgeBox as an extension provider as core to the project, so you might not need to do this step.

Installing the Extension

Now click Extensions > Applications and wait for the list to load. There should be an item in the list called Ortus Redis Cache. You can activate it as a trial or as a full version with a license key after you install.

Click it and then click the install button to begin the installation process.

We recommend a complete server install so changes can take effect.

Manual/Docker Installation

Lucee also allows you to deploy the extension file (.lex) into a special folder. Lucee will detect the extension and automatically install it for you. The location is the following

{lucee-server}/WEB-INF/lucee-server/deploy

Just drop the ortus-redis-cache-2.0.0.lex file in that folder, wait a few seconds and it will automatically install. You can drop the file there before the server is started or during a started server.

If anything goes wrong during the installation please verify the deploy logs in the following location

{lucee-server}/WEB-INF/lucee-server/context/logs/deploy.log

Activating the Extension

Once the extension installs, you will now see a new menu item in the admin called Ortus with a sub menu called Redis Cache. Click this menu and you'll see the activation screen where you can enter the license key and license email with which you purchased the extension with.

If you do not see the menu, please do a complete restart of your Lucee Server.

You will also have to determine the type of server you are installing the extension to. Development or non-public facing servers are FREE of charge and by default receive up to 4 activations.

Production servers get only 1 activation, so make sure you choose the correct server type. Once you get all your information in the form, click on the activate button to finalize the installation. Choose the trial option if you don't have a license and just want to try out the extension. When the trial expires, the cache provider will stop working! The trial is not for production use.

Development and staging servers are FREE of charge and each license includes up to 4 activations. Production licenses are on a per Lucee instance and are allowed 1 activation. If you have any activation issues, please contact us at [e-mail]. Also, make sure you have a valid internet connection in order to activate your product.\

The Ortus Lucee Redis Extension should now be installed on your server and ready to use.

Important: Please note that the Redis Extension is licensed on a per-JVM basis or on a per container pack (5-container pack). You will need a license for each separate JVM, regardless of how many contexts (sites) are deployed in your Lucee installation. The typical setup is one JVM per physical/virtual server. Please email us at [e-mail] if you have licensing questions.

Downloading The Extension

If you will be using an offline installation or a Docker based installation, you can either follow the process above or download the extension and leverage a continuous integration server to build your images or server configurations. Please note that you will need a containerized server license to use this extension across multiple images.

https://downloads.ortussolutions.com/#/ortussolutions/lucee-extensions/ortus-redis-cache/

From our artifact repository, download the appropriate lex file and drop it into your Lucee deploy folder: {lucee-server}/WEB-INF/lucee-server/deploy. Once the engine starts, it will deploy the extension for you automatically.

Automatic Activation

If you will be using Kubernetes, Docker Swarm or any other orchestrator, you will need to automate the process of activation. There are two methods of providing your activation information to the extension:

1. Activation via a properties file in the extension filesystem

2. Activation via environment variables

Since you will most likely want the server warmed up and ready to go, you may provide one of these two mechanisms in your build process. With environment variable-based activation, there is no need to hard-code the license information in to the container build, though you may do so. Simply supply these environment keys at runtime or via a .env file.

Environment Variable License Configuration

The environment variables used in activating the extension are:

• REDIS_EXTENSION_EMAIL - The email address used to purchase your extension

• REDIS_EXTENSION_LICENSE_KEY - The license key you were provided at registration

• REDIS_EXTENSION_SERVER_TYPE - Optional, defaults to Production

• REDIS_EXTENSION_ACTIVATION_CODE - The activation code for your extension and server type. Note that this can only be obtained manually through the Lucee admin, or by contacting our helpdesk.

To get an activation code, outside of the Lucee Admininstrator, please contact Ortus Solutions via the helpdesk or via email at [e-mail] If you wish to simply try out the application, you supply only one environment variable, which will activate a free extension trial:

REDIS_EXTENSION_SERVER_TYPE=Trial

To get your activation code, please contact Ortus Solutions via the helpdesk or via email at [e-mail]

Properties File License Configuration

To use the properties file method of license configuration, Create a license.properties file with the following content:

email=[The email address used to purchase your extension]
licenseKey=[The license key you were provided at registration]
activationCode=[The activation code for your extension and server type]
serverType=[ Activation type. Optional. Default to "Production"] 

And place it in the following location: {lucee-server}/WEB-INF/lucee-server/context/context/ortus/redis/license.properties

Upon server startup, the file will be sourced in and the extension activated.