Redis 2.6.0 released with Lua scripting support

Nearly eight months after being feature frozen, version 2.6.0 of key-value store database Redis is now available and brings with it several new features such as support for Lua scripting. Written in ANSI C, Redis is an open source RAM-based, persistent, data structure server that can be networked in a master-slave configuration to replicate data.

One of the most notable changes in Redis 2.6.0 is the introduction of support for server-side scripting using the Lua programming language. With the EVAL function Lua scripts can now be executed on the server; these scripts can call Redis functions using a .call() or .pcall() method and data types are automatically converted between Redis and Lua. The new version also incorporates the ability to expire keys with a millisecond resolution, as well as versions of the EXPIRE, TTL and SETEX commands (PEXPIRE, PTTL and PSETEX) that let users set timeouts in milliseconds.

Other changes include faster append-only-file (AOF) writing and better semantics for handing AOF files, improvements to the build system, and better support for big-endian and BSD-based systems. Virtual memory code, which was deprecated in version 2.4, has now been completely removed.

In a blog post, lead developer Salvatore Sanfilippo, also known as antirez, says that in addition to all of these new features, "Redis 2.6 is especially significative as a step forward in the maturity of the Redis implementation". He goes on to say that, in general, it is a safer system to run in production for a number of reasons – for example, latency spikes and slow disks are handled much better. In future the developer says that the team will focus on Redis Sentinel, Redis Cluster and the next major update, version 2.8.

An overview of the changes and new features as well as a full list of fixes in 2.6.0 can be found in the release notes. Version 2.6.0 of Redis can be downloaded from the project's site and documentation is provided. Redis is made available under a BSD licence and its development is sponsored by VMware.

See also:

• The H Speed Guide to Lua, a feature from The H.

(crve)