Step 1: Create an instance
Create a Tair (Redis OSS-compatible) instance to get started with ApsaraDB for Redis. This guide covers only the key parameters — leave everything else at its default value.
For production deployments with specific capacity or architecture requirements, follow the Key Points for Selection Overview.
Prerequisites
You need:
An Alibaba Cloud account. Step 1: Create an Alibaba Cloud account
(Recommended) An Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance in the target region. Place your Redis instance in the same virtual private cloud (VPC) for internal network access.
Quick creation
Click the creation links in the following table to create an instance with the recommended specifications. You need to configure only basic options such as the region and network.
Priority | Recommended specifications | Reasons |
Performance-first | Tair (Enterprise Edition), DRAM series (Redis 6.0-compatible), high availability, cluster enabled | In addition to the features of the Redis Open-Source Edition, this option provides:
|
Balance between performance and cost | Redis Open-Source Edition 6.0, high availability, cluster enabled |
|
Cost-first | Redis Open-Source Edition 6.0, high availability, cluster disabled |
|
Create a Redis Open-Source Edition instance
This example creates a standard Redis Open-Source Edition 6.0 instance: 1 GB memory, one master node and one replica.
Go to the and set the Service parameter to Redis Open-Source Edition.Redis purchase page
Set Billing Method: The estimated price appears in the lower-right corner and updates as you configure the instance.
Subscription — Pay upfront. More cost-effective for long-term use; longer durations get lower prices.
Pay-as-you-go — Charged hourly. Release the instance at any time to stop billing.
Set Region and Zone Settings:
If you have an ECS instance, select the same region and zone to enable internal network communication.
If connecting from a local machine, select the nearest region.
If you select Dual-zone Deployment and set the secondary zone to Auto Select, the system assigns a zone with sufficient resources automatically.
Select a VPC and a vSwitch.
Same VPC as your ECS instance: internal network communication is enabled.
Different VPC: the instances cannot communicate over the internal network.
Same VPC, different vSwitches: internal network communication is still enabled.
Set Version to Redis 6.0.Major version
Set Set Password to Now and enter a password.
You can reset or change the password in the console after the instance is created.
(Subscription only) Set the Validity Period.
Leave Quantity at the default value of 1.
Click Buy Now. On the Confirm Order page, review the terms of service and complete the payment.
After payment, the instance becomes available within 1–5 minutes. Open the console and select your region to verify.
Create a Tair (Enterprise Edition) instance
This example creates a standard Tair DRAM-based instance (Redis 6.0-compatible): 1 GB memory, one master node and one replica.
Go to the and set the Service parameter to Tair (Enterprise Edition).Tair purchase page
Set Billing Method: The estimated price appears in the lower-right corner and updates as you configure the instance.
Subscription — Pay upfront. More cost-effective for long-term use; longer durations get lower prices.
Pay-as-you-go — Charged hourly. Release the instance at any time to stop billing.
Set Storage Type to Memory.
Set Region and Zone Settings:
If you have an ECS instance, select the same region and zone to enable internal network communication.
If connecting from a local machine, select the nearest region.
Select a recommended zone — these are primary zones in the current region with long-term resource availability. If you select Dual-zone Deployment and set the secondary zone to Auto Select, the system assigns a zone with sufficient resources automatically.
NoteSingle-zone deployment provides machine-level high availability. If the zone where the instance resides experiences an overall failure (such as a power or network outage), the instance becomes unavailable. You must wait for the zone to recover or create a new instance in another zone from historical backups. If your business requires zone-level disaster recovery, we recommend that you select multi-zone deployment.
Select a VPC and a vSwitch.
Same VPC as your ECS instance: internal network communication is enabled.
Different VPC: the instances cannot communicate over the internal network.
Same VPC, different vSwitches: internal network communication is still enabled.
Set Version to Redis 6.0.
Set Password Setting to Set Now and enter a password.
(Subscription only) Set the Subscription Duration.
Leave Quantity at the default value of 1.
Click Buy Now. On the Confirm Order page, review the terms of service and complete the payment.
After payment, the instance becomes available within 1–5 minutes. Open the console and select your region to verify.
What's next
Configure an IP address whitelist so your application or ECS instance can connect. Step 2: Configure whitelists.
FAQ
Can I change the instance configuration after creation?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade configurations or change the architecture (for example, standard to cluster). Change instance configurations.
How long does instance creation take?
A standard master-replica instance takes 2–3 minutes. Cluster instances take longer: 10–15 minutes for 128 shards, 20–40 minutes for 256 shards.
Why can't I find the instance after creation?
Check that the region in the console matches where you created the instance. If it does, wait a few minutes and refresh — the instance may still be provisioning.
Why was my order refunded?
If the system cannot allocate resources in the selected zone, creation fails and your payment is refunded automatically. Check the refund on the Orders page, then retry in a different zone.
How do I view when an instance was created?
On the Instances page, click the 
icon, select Creation Time in the Customize List dialog box, and click OK. The creation time appears in the instance list.
API reference
API operation | Description |
Creates a Redis Open-Source Edition instance or a classic Tair DRAM-based instance. | |
Creates a Tair cloud-native instance. |
References
To create an instance with a different architecture or edition, configure the parameters as prompted. Parameter definitions are in Terms.