Redis Inc. today updated its namesake database with a set of new features designed to ease software development for customers.

Some of the enhancements are rolling out for the core open-source version of the platform. Others will become available in the paid version, which includes additional features that simplify infrastructure maintenance and data processing tasks.

Many enterprise applications keep their information in two separate programs: a primary database and a second, faster database known as the cache. The cache holds the most frequently accessed records. Workloads can retrieve those records from the cache faster than they could from the primary database, which improves application performance.

Redis’ namesake platform is one of the most popular open-source caches on the market. The company sells a paid version, Redis Enterprise, that includes reliability and scalability improvements. There’s also a managed edition called Redis Cloud that removes the need for users to manage the underlying infrastructure.

The first enhancement the company debuted today is in preview on Redis Cloud and generally available for Redis Enterprise users. It’s a tool called Redis Data Integration, or RDI for short. Customers can use it to move the contents of external databases into Redis for caching.

Streaming records into the platform historically required developers to build custom data transfer workflows. RDI removes that requirement. The tool automatically copies records from external databases to Redis and regularly syncs changes that users make to the original files.  

“RDI provides the connection through a single API, so you can simplify development, and make your data more reliable,” Redis Chief Executive Officer Rowan Trollope wrote in a blog post. 

RDI is rolling out alongside another new feature dubbed Redis Copilot. It’s an artificial intelligence assistant that users can ask for pointers on how to use the database. The chatbot provides clarification about Redis settings, generates queries based on natural language prompts and performs related tasks.

Redis Copilot is now generally available in Redis Insight, a desktop-based database management tool that the company ships with its paid products. The tool provides a visual interface for configuring database settings and updating records. Customers can also interact with their Redis deployments through a new plug-in for Visual Studio Code, Microsoft Corp.’s popular code editor, that likewise rolled out as part of today’s update.

The feature additions are to be followed by a major upgrade to the open-source version of Redis in the fall. Redis 8, as the upcoming release will be called, is set to bring over several features from the paid Redis Enterprise edition.

Free users will receive access to support for JSON records and probabilistic data structures. JSON is a ubiquitous file format that many applications use to store their information. Redis’ probabilistic data structures, in turn, make it easier to store statistical information such as how likely it is that a website visitor will turn into a paying customer.

Users of the open-source database are also receiving a vector search capability. The feature allows AI applications to run searches on datasets formatted as vectors, the mathematical structures in which neural networks store their knowledge. According to Redis, AI models can run queries up to 16 times faster than would be possible using a set of competing databases it evaluated internally. 

Image: Redis