---
quick_id: 260618-smr
slug: remove-unused-redis-service-and-referenc
description: Remove unused Redis service and references
type: quick
created: 2026-06-19
files_modified:
  - docker-compose.yml
  - docker-compose.dev.yml
  - CLAUDE.md
  - README.md
  - docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
  - docs/CONFIGURATION.md
  - docs/deployment.md
  - docs/DEVELOPMENT.md
  - docs/GETTING-STARTED.md
  - docs/TESTING.md
  - apps/pwa/e2e/README.md
  - apps/pwa/playwright.config.ts
---

# Quick Task 260618-smr: Remove unused Redis service and references

## Why

Redis is confirmed **unused at runtime**: no `ioredis`/redis client import, no `REDIS_*`
env vars read in code, and `ioredis` is not a dependency in any `package.json`. It exists
only as a compose service + documentation references that imply it is part of the stack or
"reserved for future pub/sub". Decision: drop the container and all references (keep the
in-memory-vs-Redis design-rationale comments — see Constraint below).

## Tasks

### Task 1 — Remove the redis service from compose
- `docker-compose.yml`: delete the `redis:` service block (`image: redis:7-alpine` + its
  comment) so only `api`, `mariadb`, and the `volumes:` block remain. The api `depends_on`
  lists only `mariadb` — leave it untouched.
- `docker-compose.dev.yml`: delete the `redis:` ports override block (`ports: - '6379:6379'`).
- verify: `grep -ri redis docker-compose.yml docker-compose.dev.yml` returns nothing.
- done: neither compose file references redis; `docker compose config` still parses.

### Task 2 — Clean documentation references
Remove/adjust every Redis mention so no doc implies Redis is part of the stack:
- `CLAUDE.md`: delete the Constraints line "Redis available (optional, …)"; delete the
  `ioredis` row from the Supporting Libraries table; delete the "Redis is present in the
  stack but not yet used…" sentence from the architecture paragraph (keep the rest of the
  sentence about SSE/EventEmitter); change the compose-tree comment `(api + mariadb + redis)`
  → `(api + mariadb)`.
- `README.md`: drop "Redis" from the prerequisites line; drop `redis` from the
  `docker compose … up mariadb redis` command; drop ", Redis 7" from the compose-file
  description; change "expose DB/Redis ports" → "expose DB ports"; change the Live-sync row
  "Server-Sent Events + Redis 7 pub/sub" → "Server-Sent Events (in-process EventEmitter)".
- `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`: delete the `Redis` table row.
- `docs/CONFIGURATION.md`: drop "and Redis on `localhost:6379`".
- `docs/deployment.md`: delete the `redis` services-table row.
- `docs/DEVELOPMENT.md`: remove the four Redis mentions (prereq bullet, "### 2. Start the dev
  database and Redis" heading → "Start the dev database", the two `up mariadb redis` commands
  → `up mariadb`, the "Exposes Redis on `localhost:6379`" bullet, and the
  "(API in Docker + MariaDB + Redis…)" comment → "(API in Docker + MariaDB…)").
- `docs/GETTING-STARTED.md`: prereq row "Used to run MariaDB and Redis locally" → "MariaDB";
  `up -d mariadb redis` → `up -d mariadb`; "and Redis (`localhost:6379`)" removed from prose.
- `docs/TESTING.md`: "The API, MariaDB, and Redis must already be running" → "The API and
  MariaDB must already be running".
- `apps/pwa/e2e/README.md`: delete the "- Redis on `:6379`" bullet.
- `apps/pwa/playwright.config.ts`: update the two comments listing
  "API+MariaDB+Redis are compose-managed" → "API+MariaDB are compose-managed".
- verify: `grep -rniE redis CLAUDE.md README.md docs apps/pwa/e2e apps/pwa/playwright.config.ts`
  returns nothing (case-insensitive, excluding the word "credential").
- done: no doc/config implies Redis is in the stack.

## Constraint — KEEP these (do NOT touch)
The in-memory-vs-Redis **design-rationale** comments document why in-memory is used instead
of Redis (decisions D-12/D-18) and must remain:
- `apps/api/src/lib/listEmitter.ts`
- `apps/api/src/broker/reminderScheduler.ts`
- `apps/api/src/auth/linkNonceStore.ts`
- `apps/api/src/routes/localAuth.ts`

## must_haves
- truth: "No redis service exists in either compose file"
- truth: "No documentation or e2e config references Redis as part of the stack"
- truth: "The D-12/D-18 in-memory-vs-Redis rationale comments in the 4 source files are intact"
- artifacts: [docker-compose.yml, docker-compose.dev.yml, CLAUDE.md, README.md, docs/*, apps/pwa/e2e/README.md, apps/pwa/playwright.config.ts]