# Create a Redis database on Google Kubernetes Engine **Authors:** Ajeet Raina | **Category:** For operators | **Published:** 2026-02-25 | **Updated:** 2026-02-25 Deploy a Redis Enterprise database on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) using the Redis Enterprise Operator. This tutorial walks you through GKE cluster creation, operator deployment, and database provisioning so you can run a production-grade Redis cluster on GCP Kubernetes. ## What you'll learn - How to create a GKE cluster sized for Redis Enterprise - How to deploy the Redis Enterprise Operator for Kubernetes - How to provision a Redis Enterprise Cluster (REC) on GKE - How to retrieve cluster credentials and create a database ## What do you need before deploying Redis on GKE? Before you begin, make sure you have the following: - A Google Cloud account with the **Kubernetes Engine Admin** role - A Linux, macOS, or WSL environment - [Google Cloud SDK (`gcloud` CLI)](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install) installed and initialized with `gcloud init` - `kubectl` installed (included with `gcloud components install kubectl`) - `curl` and `git` installed > Familiarity with Kubernetes concepts such as namespaces, pods, and deployments is helpful. See the [Kubernetes Operator tutorial](/tutorials/operate/orchestration/kubernetes-operator/) for background on how operators manage Redis clusters. ## How do you verify the Google Cloud SDK installation? Confirm that `gcloud` is installed and available on your system: ```bash gcloud version ``` You should see output similar to: ```bash Google Cloud SDK 320.0.0 alpha 2020.12.04 app-engine-go 1.9.71 ``` ## How do you create a GKE cluster for Redis? Create a five-node GKE cluster with enough resources to run Redis Enterprise. The `e2-standard-8` machine type provides 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of memory per node: ```bash gcloud container clusters create redis-cluster \ --subnetwork default \ --num-nodes 5 \ --machine-type e2-standard-8 \ --region us-east1 ``` After the cluster is ready, `gcloud` automatically configures `kubectl` to connect to it. ## How do you create a namespace for Redis? Create a dedicated namespace to isolate your Redis deployment: ```bash kubectl create namespace demo ``` Switch your `kubectl` context to use the new namespace by default: ```bash kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=demo ``` ## How do you deploy the Redis Enterprise Operator? The Redis Enterprise Operator automates the deployment and management of Redis Enterprise clusters on Kubernetes. Deploy it by applying the operator bundle: ```bash kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RedisLabs/redis-enterprise-k8s-docs/master/bundle.yaml ``` This creates the required roles, service accounts, custom resource definitions (CRDs), and the operator deployment itself. Verify the operator is running: ```bash kubectl get deployment redis-enterprise-operator ``` Expected output: ```bash NAME READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE AGE redis-enterprise-operator 1/1 1 1 2m ``` ## How do you create a Redis Enterprise Cluster on GKE? Apply the default Redis Enterprise Cluster (REC) custom resource. This configuration works well for development and testing: ```bash kubectl apply -f crds/app_v1_redisenterprisecluster_cr.yaml ``` The cluster takes 5–10 minutes to initialize. Check its status using the `rec` shorthand: ```bash kubectl get rec ``` Expected output: ```bash NAME AGE redis-enterprise 14s ``` ## How do you verify the Redis deployment on GKE? List all the pods, services, and deployments to confirm everything is running: ```bash kubectl get po,svc,deploy ``` Expected output: ```bash NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE pod/redis-enterprise-0 2/2 Running 0 6m42s pod/redis-enterprise-1 2/2 Running 0 4m34s pod/redis-enterprise-2 2/2 Running 0 2m18s pod/redis-enterprise-operator-58f8566fd7-5kcvz 1/1 Running 0 69m pod/redis-enterprise-services-rigger-5849b86c65-lwql9 1/1 Running 0 6m42s NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE service/kubernetes ClusterIP 10.3.240.1 443/TCP 71m service/redis-enterprise ClusterIP None 9443/TCP,8001/TCP,8070/TCP 6m42s service/redis-enterprise-ui LoadBalancer 10.3.246.252 35.196.117.24 8443:31473/TCP 6m42s NAME READY UP-TO-DATE AVAILABLE AGE deployment.apps/redis-enterprise-operator 1/1 1 1 69m deployment.apps/redis-enterprise-services-rigger 1/1 1 1 6m44s ``` You can also verify the pods and services in the Google Cloud Console: ![Google Cloud Console showing Redis Enterprise pods and services running on GKE, including the operator, cluster nodes, and services rigger](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/2434aab8c940340edfba0c1f2d912f8c5aac3e81-1332x854.jpg) ## How do you retrieve the Redis cluster admin password? Extract the admin password from the Kubernetes secret: ```bash kubectl get secrets redis-enterprise -o jsonpath='{.data.password}' | base64 --decode ``` ## How do you create a Redis database? Open the Redis Enterprise web console at `https://:8443` (use the `redis-enterprise-ui` service external IP from the output above). Log in with the admin credentials, then: 1. Click **Setup** and configure your cluster DNS and admin account. 2. Navigate to **Databases** and create your first Redis database. ## Next steps - Learn how Kubernetes operators manage Redis: [Kubernetes Operator tutorial](/tutorials/operate/orchestration/kubernetes-operator/) - Understand the underlying design: [Redis Kubernetes Architecture](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/architecture/) - Plan for production workloads: [Sizing and Scaling Redis on Kubernetes](https://redis.io/docs/latest/operate/kubernetes/recommendations/sizing-on-kubernetes/) ![Diagram showing Redis Enterprise Kubernetes architecture with operator, StatefulSet, and Redis Enterprise Cluster pods distributed across Kubernetes nodes](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/a0e97d6d114339c086d82ad3bbeaf992ee501a94-1518x562.png)