{
  "id": "get-started",
  "title": "Get started with Flex databases for Redis Software",
  "url": "https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/8.0/flex/get-started/",
  "summary": "Configure Flex databases on your Redis Software cluster.",
  "content": "This page guides you through a quick setup of [Flex](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/flex) with a single node for testing and demo purposes.\n\nFor production environments, see [Plan a Flex deployment for Redis Software](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/flex/plan) and more detailed installation instructions in the [install and setup](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/installing-upgrading) section.\n\nTo set up a Redis Software cluster using Flex with a single node:\n\n1. Review the [version requirements](#version-requirements).\n\n1. [Install Redis Software](#install-redis-software) or run it in a [Docker container](#dockerbased-installation).\n\n1. [Prepare and format flash memory](#prepare-and-format-flash-memory).\n\n1. [Set up a cluster](#setup-cluster-flash) with flash storage.\n\n1. [Create a new database](#create-a-database) with flash enabled.\n\n1. [Connect to your new database](#connect-to-your-database).\n\n## Version requirements\n\nTo create Flex databases, you need:\n\n- Redis Software cluster version 8.0.2-17 or later\n\n- Redis database version 8.2 or later\n\n## Install Redis Software\n\n### Bare metal, VM, Cloud instance\n\nTo install on bare metal, a virtual machine, or a Cloud instance:\n\n1. Download the Redis Software binaries from the [download center](https://redis.io/downloads/#Redis_Software).\n\n1. Upload the binaries to a Linux-based operating system.\n\n1. Extract the image:\n\n    ```sh\n    tar -vxf \u003cdownloaded tar file name\u003e\n    ```\n\n1. After the `tar` command completes, you can find a new `install.sh` script in the current directory:\n\n    ```sh\n    sudo ./install.sh -y\n    ```\n\n### Docker-based installation {#dockerbased-installation}\n\nFor testing purposes, you can run a Redis Software Docker container:\n\n```sh\ndocker run -d --cap-add sys_resource --name rp -p 8443:8443 -p 12000:12000 redislabs/redis:latest\n```\n\n## Prepare and format flash memory\n\nAfter you [install Redis Software](#install-redis-software), use the `prepare_flash` script to prepare and format flash memory:\n\n```sh\nsudo /opt/redislabs/sbin/prepare_flash.sh\n```\n\nThis script finds unformatted disks and mounts them as RAID partitions in `/var/opt/redislabs/flash`.\n\nTo verify the disk configuration, run:\n\n```sh\nsudo lsblk\n```\n\n## Set up a cluster with flash storage {#setup-cluster-flash}\n\n1. Direct your browser to `https://localhost:8443` on the host machine to\nsee the Redis Software Cluster Manager UI.\n\n    \nDepending on your browser, you may see a certificate error.\nChoose \"continue to the website\" to go to the setup screen.\n    \n\n1. Click **Create new cluster**.\n\n1. Set up account credentials for a cluster administrator, then click **Next** to proceed to cluster setup.\n\n1. Enter your cluster license key if you have one. Otherwise, the cluster uses the trial version.\n\n1. Provide a cluster FQDN such as `mycluster.local`, then click **Next**.\n\n1. In the **Storage configuration** section, turn on the **Enable flash storage** toggle.\n\n1. Click **Create cluster**.\n\n1. Click **OK** to confirm that you are aware of the replacement of the HTTPS TLS certificate on the node, and proceed through the browser warning.\n\n## Create a database\n\nOn the **Databases** screen:\n\n1. Select **Quick database**.\n\n1. Verify **Flash** is selected for **Runs on**.\n\n    ![images/rs/screenshots/databases/quick-db-flash-7-8-2.png](https://redis.io/docs/latest/images/rs/screenshots/databases/quick-db-flash-7-8-2.png)\n\n1. Enter `12000` for the endpoint **Port** number.\n\n1. Optionally, select **Full options** to see available alerts.\n\n1. Click **Create**.\n\nYou now have a Flex database.\n\n## Connect to your database\n\nAfter you create the database, you can connect to it and store data. See [Test client connection](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/databases/connect/test-client-connectivity) for connection options and examples.\n\n## Next steps\n\nTo see the true performance and scale of Flex, you must tune your I/O path and set the flash path to the mounted path of SSD or NVMe flash memory.\n",
  "tags": ["docs","operate","rs"],
  "last_updated": "2026-07-23T11:57:56-05:00"
}