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Building Real-Time Collaborative Workflows with 12+ Redis Features

#redischallenge #devchallenge #database #ai

Redis AI Challenge: Beyond the Cache

redisflow home
This is a submission for the Redis AI Challenge: Beyond the Cache.

What I Built

I built a real-time collaborative workflow automation platform that transforms Redis from a simple cache into a complete application backbone called RedisFlow. Think of it as Zapier meets Figma, where multiple users can design, execute, and monitor automated workflows together in real-time.

What makes RedisFlow special? It leverages 12+ Redis features to create a production-ready platform that showcases Redis as a multi-model database, real-time engine, and distributed system foundation - all while delivering sub-10ms collaboration latency and supporting 100+ concurrent users per workflow.

Key Features:

  • Visual Workflow Builder: Drag-and-drop interface with 7 node types
  • Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users editing simultaneously with live cursors
  • Instant Execution: Watch workflows run with real-time status updates
  • Live Monitoring: Stream execution logs and metrics as they happen
  • Distributed Processing: Scale horizontally with Redis-powered job queues

Demo

How I Used Redis 8

RedisFlow pushes Redis far beyond caching, utilizing it as a complete platform for building modern, real-time applications. Here's how I leveraged each Redis feature:

1. Redis JSON - Primary Database for Workflows 

// Store complex workflow definitions as JSON documents
await redisClient.json.set(`workflow:${id}`, '$', {
  id,
  name: 'Customer Data Processor',
  nodes: [...],
  connections: [...],
  metadata: { created: Date.now(), version: 1 }
});
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2. Redis Pub/Sub - Real-Time Collaboration Engine 

// Broadcast workflow changes to all connected users
publisher.publish(`workflow:${workflowId}:updates`, JSON.stringify({
  type: 'node-moved',
  nodeId: node.id,
  position: { x: 100, y: 200 },
  userId: currentUser.id
}));

// Subscribe to receive updates
subscriber.subscribe(`workflow:${workflowId}:updates`);
subscriber.on('message', (channel, message) => {
  // Update UI in real-time
});
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3. Redis Streams - Event Sourcing & Execution Logs 

// Stream execution events for real-time monitoring
await ioredisClient.xadd(
  `execution:${executionId}:logs`,
  '*',
  'type', 'node_complete',
  'nodeId', node.id,
  'status', 'success',
  'duration', executionTime,
  'result', JSON.stringify(result)
);
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4. BullMQ (Redis-based) - Distributed Job Processing 

// Queue workflow executions with retry logic
await executionQueue.add('execute', {
  workflowId,
  executionId,
  inputs
}, {
  attempts: 3,
  backoff: { type: 'exponential', delay: 2000 }
});
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5. Redis Search - Full-Text Workflow Search 

// Create search index for workflows
await redisClient.ft.create('idx:workflows', {
  name: { type: 'TEXT', sortable: true },
  description: 'TEXT',
  tags: 'TAG',
  created: 'NUMERIC'
}, { ON: 'JSON', PREFIX: 'workflow:' });
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6. Redis Sorted Sets - Metrics & Rankings 

// Track workflow popularity and execution metrics
await ioredisClient.zincrby('workflows:by_executions', 1, workflowId);
await ioredisClient.zadd('workflows:by_date', Date.now(), workflowId);
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7. Redis Counters - Real-Time Analytics 

// Increment execution counters atomically
await ioredisClient.incr('metrics:executions:total');
await ioredisClient.incr(`metrics:executions:daily:${today}`);
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8. Redis TTL - Automatic Data Cleanup 

// Set TTL for temporary data
await ioredisClient.setex(`session:${sessionId}`, 3600, userData);
await ioredisClient.expire(`cache:${key}`, 300);
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9. Redis Transactions - Atomic Operations 

// Ensure consistency with multi-command transactions
const multi = ioredisClient.multi();
multi.json.set(`workflow:${id}`, '$', workflowData);
multi.zadd('workflows:by_date', Date.now(), id);
multi.incr('metrics:workflows:total');
await multi.exec();
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10. Redis Sets - User Presence Tracking 

// Track active users per workflow
await ioredisClient.sadd(`workflow:${workflowId}:users`, userId);
const activeUsers = await ioredisClient.scard(`workflow:${workflowId}:users`);
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11. Redis Lists - Execution Queue Management 

// Manage execution order
await ioredisClient.lpush('execution:queue', executionId);
const nextExecution = await ioredisClient.rpop('execution:queue');
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12. Redis Hashes - Execution Metadata 

// Store execution details
await ioredisClient.hset(`execution:${executionId}`, {
  status: 'running',
  startedAt: Date.now(),
  workflowId,
  userId
});
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Architecture & Performance

System Architecture 

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│   Vue.js    │────▶│   Node.js   │────▶│    Redis    │
│  Frontend   │     │   Backend   │     │   Database  │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
       │                    │                    │
       └────WebSocket───────┘                    │
           (Socket.io)                           │
                                                 │
                                          ┌──────┴────┐
                                          │  Features │
                                          ├───────────┤
                                          │ • JSON    │
                                          │ • Streams │
                                          │ • Pub/Sub │
                                          │ • Search  │
                                          │ • BullMQ  │
                                          └───────────┘
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Performance Metrics

  • Workflow Load Time: <50ms (Redis JSON)
  • Collaboration Latency: <10ms (Redis Pub/Sub)
  • Search Response: <100ms (Redis Search)
  • Execution Start: <100ms (BullMQ)
  • Concurrent Users: 100+ per workflow
  • Throughput: 1000+ executions/minute

Technical Highlights

Production-Ready Features

  • Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling with retry mechanisms
  • Monitoring: Built-in metrics and performance tracking
  • Scalability: Horizontal scaling with Redis Cluster support
  • Security: Input validation, rate limiting, and user isolation
  • Persistence: Redis AOF for data durability

Developer Experience

  • Clean Architecture: Modular design with clear separation of concerns
  • Modern Stack: Vue 3, Node.js, Socket.io, and Redis
  • Easy Setup: One-command installation with environment templates
  • Comprehensive Docs: README, API docs, and deployment guide

Future Possibilities

With Redis's continuous evolution, RedisFlow could expand to include:

  • Vector Search: AI-powered workflow recommendations
  • Redis ML: Intelligent workflow optimization
  • Time Series: Advanced analytics and monitoring
  • Graph: Complex workflow dependency management

RedisFlow demonstrates that Redis is not just a cache - it's a powerful, multi-model platform capable of powering entire applications. By leveraging 12+ Redis features in innovative ways, RedisFlow creates a real-time collaborative experience that would be complex to build with traditional databases.

This project pushes the boundaries of what's possible with Redis, showing developers worldwide that they can build sophisticated, real-time applications using Redis as their primary database and real-time engine.

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