add a clear statement that redis is an essential prerequisite to the operation of tyk products.

[sharadregoti]

Currently, it isn’t very clear that Redis is a hard requirement for the operation of Tyk products in both the control plane and the data plane. We need to ensure that this is clearly stated in all places, with the requirements for resilience and restorability also clearly outlined. The control plane Redis needs to be resilient and restorable, while the data plane Redis can be ephemeral, provided MDCB is available.

[sharadregoti]

/probe "can you check"

[sharadregoti]

/probe "can you check"

[github-actions]

Redis as an Essential Prerequisite for Tyk Products

Based on my analysis of the Tyk documentation, Redis is indeed an essential prerequisite for all Tyk products, both in the control plane and the data plane. This fact needs to be clearly stated throughout the documentation to ensure users understand this critical dependency.

Redis Requirements by Environment

Control Plane Redis Requirements

• Hard Requirement: Redis is absolutely required for the control plane components (Dashboard, MDCB).
• Resilience: The control plane Redis instance must be resilient and configured for high availability, as it stores critical configuration data.
• Restorability: Control plane Redis data must be backed up regularly and be restorable, as it contains essential configuration that would be difficult to recreate if lost.
• Usage: In the control plane, Redis stores API definitions, policies, keys, and other configuration data that is distributed to data planes.

Data Plane Redis Requirements

• Hard Requirement: Redis is absolutely required for all data plane Gateway instances.
• Ephemeral Option: For data planes connected to MDCB, Redis can be treated as more ephemeral storage, since configuration can be re-synchronized from the control plane if needed.
• Local Caching: Data plane Redis instances store local copies of API definitions, policies, keys, and analytics data temporarily.
• Usage: In the data plane, Redis is used for:
  • Distributed rate limiting and quotas
  • Token storage and session management
  • Temporary analytics storage before being pumped to persistent storage
  • Caching of upstream responses (when enabled)
  • Synchronization between Gateway nodes in a cluster

Synchronization Between Control Plane and Data Plane

The MDCB Synchroniser feature (introduced in Gateway v4.1 and MDCB v2.0) improves resilience by proactively synchronizing resources like API keys, certificates, and OAuth clients from the control plane to data plane Redis instances. This ensures data planes can continue to operate independently if the MDCB link becomes unavailable.

Redis Configuration Recommendations

1. Split Redis from Other Components: Keep Redis on separate systems from Gateways, Dashboard, and other components to prevent resource contention.
2. Connection Pool Settings: Configure appropriate connection pool settings:

   "storage": {
     "optimisation_max_idle": 2000,
     "optimisation_max_active": 4000
   }
   

3. Data Protection: Redis instances should not be treated as ephemeral, especially in the control plane. Ensure proper persistence, replication, and backup strategies.
4. TLS Encryption: For production environments, enable TLS encryption for Redis connections to secure data in transit.

Supported Redis Versions

• Tyk 5.3 supports Redis 6.2.x, 7.0.x, and 7.2.x
• Tyk 5.2.x and earlier supports Redis 6.0.x and Redis 6.2.x only

Conclusion

Redis is a critical and non-optional component for all Tyk deployments. The documentation should clearly state this requirement in all relevant sections, emphasizing the need for proper Redis configuration, especially regarding resilience and restorability in the control plane. For data planes connected to MDCB, while Redis is still required, the resilience requirements can be less stringent as data can be re-synchronized from the control plane if needed.

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[sharadregoti]

/writer "Can you implement it"

[tykbot]

I've implemented the requested changes to clearly state that Redis is an essential prerequisite for all Tyk products in both the control plane and data plane. Here's a summary of the changes made:

1. Created a new comprehensive page at tyk-docs/content/planning-for-production/redis-requirements.md that:

   • Clearly states Redis is essential for all Tyk products
   • Details the different requirements for control plane vs. data plane Redis instances
   • Explains that control plane Redis needs to be resilient and restorable
   • Clarifies that data plane Redis can be more ephemeral when using MDCB
   • Provides configuration recommendations for different deployment scenarios

2. Added a dedicated "MDCB Deployment Considerations" section that specifically addresses:

   • Control plane Redis requirements in MDCB deployments (high durability, source of truth)
   • Data plane Redis requirements in MDCB deployments (can be ephemeral, optimized for performance)

3. Updated key installation documentation files to reference the Redis requirements:

   • Added a prominent notice to tyk-docs/content/apim/open-source/installation.md
   • Added a clear statement to tyk-docs/content/tyk-self-managed/install.md
   • Updated tyk-docs/content/tyk-stack.md with a prerequisites section

These changes ensure that users are clearly informed about Redis being a critical dependency for all Tyk products, with appropriate guidance on the different requirements for control plane and data plane deployments.

Changes have been applied and a PR has been created: #6899

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