{
  "id": "get-started",
  "title": "Get started with Flex databases for Redis Software",
  "url": "https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/rs/flex/get-started/",
  "summary": "Configure Flex databases on your Redis Software cluster.",
  "tags": [
    "docs",
    "operate",
    "rs"
  ],
  "last_updated": "2026-04-15T13:31:09-05:00",
  "page_type": "content",
  "content_hash": "3815f20543309c2e11d64c1c086dd655708a5938a1e0cb09b1438cf97789482b",
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "overview",
      "title": "Overview",
      "role": "overview",
      "text": "This page guides you through a quick setup of [Flex]() with a single node for testing and demo purposes.\n\nFor production environments, see [Plan a Flex deployment for Redis Software]() and more detailed installation instructions in the [install and setup]() 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)."
    },
    {
      "id": "version-requirements",
      "title": "Version requirements",
      "role": "compatibility",
      "text": "To 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"
    },
    {
      "id": "install-redis-software",
      "title": "Install Redis Software",
      "role": "setup",
      "text": ""
    },
    {
      "id": "bare-metal-vm-cloud-instance",
      "title": "Bare metal, VM, Cloud instance",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "To 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    [code example]\n\n1. After the `tar` command completes, you can find a new `install.sh` script in the current directory:\n\n    [code example]"
    },
    {
      "id": "docker-based-installation-dockerbased-installation",
      "title": "Docker-based installation {#dockerbased-installation}",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "For testing purposes, you can run a Redis Software Docker container:\n\n[code example]"
    },
    {
      "id": "prepare-and-format-flash-memory",
      "title": "Prepare and format flash memory",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "After you [install Redis Software](#install-redis-software), use the `prepare_flash` script to prepare and format flash memory:\n\n[code example]\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[code example]"
    },
    {
      "id": "set-up-a-cluster-with-flash-storage-setup-cluster-flash",
      "title": "Set up a cluster with flash storage {#setup-cluster-flash}",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "1. 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."
    },
    {
      "id": "create-a-database",
      "title": "Create a database",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "On the **Databases** screen:\n\n1. Select **Quick database**.\n\n1. Verify **Flash** is selected for **Runs on**.\n\n    \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."
    },
    {
      "id": "connect-to-your-database",
      "title": "Connect to your database",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "After you create the database, you can connect to it and store data. See [Test client connection]() for connection options and examples."
    },
    {
      "id": "next-steps",
      "title": "Next steps",
      "role": "content",
      "text": "To 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."
    }
  ],
  "examples": [
    {
      "id": "bare-metal-vm-cloud-instance-ex0",
      "language": "sh",
      "code": "tar -vxf <downloaded tar file name>",
      "section_id": "bare-metal-vm-cloud-instance"
    },
    {
      "id": "bare-metal-vm-cloud-instance-ex1",
      "language": "sh",
      "code": "sudo ./install.sh -y",
      "section_id": "bare-metal-vm-cloud-instance"
    },
    {
      "id": "docker-based-installation-dockerbased-installation-ex0",
      "language": "sh",
      "code": "docker run -d --cap-add sys_resource --name rp -p 8443:8443 -p 12000:12000 redislabs/redis:latest",
      "section_id": "docker-based-installation-dockerbased-installation"
    },
    {
      "id": "prepare-and-format-flash-memory-ex0",
      "language": "sh",
      "code": "sudo /opt/redislabs/sbin/prepare_flash.sh",
      "section_id": "prepare-and-format-flash-memory"
    },
    {
      "id": "prepare-and-format-flash-memory-ex1",
      "language": "sh",
      "code": "sudo lsblk",
      "section_id": "prepare-and-format-flash-memory"
    }
  ]
}