From a technology perspective, Redis does a great job as a database and data cache. According to 6Sense, Redis is currently the number one product as an in-memory data cache. It just works.
However, that position is also a potential challenge. Redis does its job so well that, well, why should you change it? One reason for that change is reaching an end of life situation. Redis Enterprise 7.2 comes to its official end of life on February 28, 2026, so six months from today. This should therefore be a reason to start planning ahead on its own. However, the open source version of Redis does not have security patches available officially for version 7.2. Users can try to apply the changes themselves if they can, but Redis OSS is effectively already at ‘end of life’.
Another reason for looking at a change is around licensing. Redis the company changed the software license for Redis the software. Redis 7.2 was the last version available under the BSD 3-clause license, which allows users to deploy and use Redis for what they see fit. Redis 7.4 was launched under a new Redis Community license and under the Server Side Public License, or SSPL. Neither of these licenses is on the list approved by the Open Source Initiative, as they prevent specific use cases, which is against the Open Source Directive guidance that the software can be used by any user for any purpose. Redis then changed its approach again and adopted the GNU Affero license for version 8.0.
In practice, this has meant that a lot of those using Redis are on version 7.2. Some have stuck with this version because it works well, is exceptionally stable, and they don’t want to change something that works for them. Some will have set up Redis and then left it alone because it is reliable, and there are other, more important demands on their time. And some will have stuck with version 7.2 because it is on an open source license that their company is happy for them to use, whereas the other versions are not.
Making the change and planning ahead
The February 28, 2026 date for end of life for version 7.2 will force some companies to change. While they might not want to move, they will not have a choice if they have to be on a supported version. But what are the options?
The first is … do nothing. Redis 7.2 continues to be a solid option for in-memory data caching and as a distributed database. If it is not broken, then why make that change? However, the reality is that the lack of security updates after this date may force people to update. While it might be possible to mitigate security risks in the future, the reality is that making a change on your timetable is better than having to migrate in the face of a security scare.
The second option is to upgrade to a later version of Redis. While those license changes might be important, for many developers, their main goal is working software. While using open source software might be important to them, they may be more pragmatic in how they think about architecture.
The third option is to move away from Redis. For this, there is a ready-made replacement: Valkey. Valkey is a fork from Redis 7.2 that is compatible with Redis and is available under the same fully open source BSD 3-Clause License. The project is supported by a range of different organizations and is part of the Linux Foundation. It’s already ranking highly on the Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey, with 64.7 percent of those surveyed rating Valkey as an Admirable technology.
Moving to Valkey version 7.2 should be a ‘lift and drop’ exercise as the code bases are compatible. The Valkey team has committed to supporting its version of 7.2 until April 2027, providing a longer path for planning ahead if that is what users require. Furthermore, the main use case for Redis and Valkey is around in-memory data caching, and this functionality is agnostic of the version that you are using. So, while you might initially opt for Valkey 7.2, you can also move to later versions like Valkey 8.0 with minimal impact, while getting all the internal improvements for free.
Migration planning around Valkey
To plan ahead around a potential migration, there are several steps to carry out over the next six months:
1) Audit your Redis environments How many instances did you think you had in place, and where are they deployed? In conversations, many teams are finding they had more instances of Redis in place than they previously estimated. This can include more instances for testing and development, distributed environments for resilience or data backup, or instances that were larger than they were estimated to be, based on more data growth.
2) Check your deployments and extensions One of the reasons Redis is popular is that it has multiple extension options that can augment or add functionality alongside the core database. This can make it easier and faster to complete deployments. If you are thinking of a migration to Valkey, then check that your extensions are also compatible.
3) Plan your move Once you know everything that you plan to move, you can then work on a timing plan for that shift. Making the move all in one go can be more risky, so instead, look at which elements in your applications you can move over without affecting the rest of the application. Alongside this, look at how you can limit potential impact on performance through using downtime windows and staggering your migrations. This helps ensure that the moves are completed successfully.
4) Make the move This will cover how you physically migrate from one system to another. You can make this easier by taking a snapshot of your current instance, then pre-loading and racking all the necessary instances with that snapshot to pre-populate the new instances. However, you will have to turn off all your incoming active connections so that you prevent new data from being created. This does lead to some downtime as you turn off those connections and then restart with Valkey.The alternative here is to create a replication from Redis to Valkey. This keeps your Redis instance active and processing transactions while you also complete your Valkey update. Once you are ready to make the switch, you can replay the transactions that took place during the migration into Valkey to create a fully up-to-date set of records.
For full cluster environments, you can create additional Valkey nodes alongside your Redis ones. The cluster will then re-distribute data so that the Valkey nodes have up-to-date copies of the data held in the Redis instances. Once those Valkey nodes have all the same data, you can promote the Valkey instances to primary status and relegate the Redis nodes, then remove them from the cluster.
5) Monitor your performance Ideally, your migration should go smoothly and applications carry on running. To prove that, you can take observability and system data before and after the move. Typically, Valkey users have seen a performance increase as part of their move.
Valkey has added multi-threading, asynchronous I/O, memory optimizations, and other high-level features that reduce latency and boost overall performance. These additions keep the open source Valkey project in line with the work done by Redis, as well as taking on feedback from the community about what improvements they want to see. At the same time, Valkey has also added enterprise features that are necessary for adoption. For example, LDAP support is necessary for security and access control, and is now supported through contributions from the likes of Percona.
The end of life for Redis 7.2 will force developers to make a choice about migration. While the technology itself remains popular, performs well, and is reliable, the end of support will lead to more migrations. The time to start planning that migration is now.
For assistance in your journey, Percona provides support and services for migrating to Valkey as well as support for Redis deployments. Whether you are looking for a health check on your existing Redis OSS deployment, independent advice on your data caching strategy, or a full migration plan to get you to the latest version of Valkey in your data center, in the cloud, or in a hybrid environment, the Percona team is here to help!
