Azure Cache for Redis is a managed caching service that provides a highly scalable and responsive cache for web applications. It is based on the open-source Redis in-memory data structure store and offers an easy-to-use, fully managed, and highly available caching solution for applications hosted on Azure.

When creating a new Azure Cache for a Redis instance, it is important to ensure that the cache is created in the correct database. One way to test this is by verifying that the cache is created in the respective default databases. I have already written about the steps involved in creating a new Azure Cache for the Redis instance and here will explore, how to verify the cache, that is created in the correct default databases.

You can access all the caches under your Azure subscriptions and view their data with the Azure Cache for Redis Visual Studio Code extension.

This extension enhances ease of development by eliminating the need to manually track connection and access keys to connect to your caches. Simply authenticate with your Azure account, and you’ll instantly be able to access your Azure Cache for Redis instances.

This extension supports both common configurations—clustered and non-clustered caches, as well as all Redis data types, such as strings, lists, hashes, and sets. With it, you’ll be able to filter Redis keys by match expressions. Ultimately, this extension gives you more time to focus on development, debugging, and testing your application on your terms.

Installation and usage

The Azure Cache for Redis extension can be downloaded from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace or within Visual Studio Code by searching for Azure Cache in the extension tab.

Marketplace will direct you to open Visual Studio Code to install the extension and once it is installed, you will be able to see a caches dropdown under the Azure tab on the left-hand side of Visual Studio Code. Expanding the dropdown will prompt you to log in to your Azure account.

Once your account is linked, you’ll see a list of all your Azure subscriptions. Expanding a subscription will reveal all the Azure Cache resources belonging to it. After selecting a cache instance, you will be able to see all the databases with data in them. For a clustered cache, you would see shards instead.

You can filter through the Redis keys by using a match expression. For example, filtering by the expression “key*” will display all the keys that start with “key.” For hash keys, you can also filter by hash field name. You can also directly select the cache name(s) to view cache properties such as hostname, SKU, location, connection string, access key, and Redis version.

In conclusion, Azure Cache for Redis is a powerful caching solution that provides a fast and scalable caching layer for web applications hosted on Azure. Creating a new Azure Cache for the Redis instance is easy, and it is important to ensure that the cache is created in the correct default databases. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can verify that your new Azure Cache for Redis instance is created in the correct default databases and ready to use in your web application. With the right configuration, Azure Cache for Redis can significantly improve the performance and scalability of your web application, leading to better user experience and increased customer satisfaction.