GATED WHITE PAPER
The Redis and Elastic Migration Guide
The Redis and Elastic migration guide gives buyer side teams a structured method to map license exposure, weigh Valkey and OpenSearch against a commercial license, and migrate without breaking production. Download the full guide below.
What the Redis and Elastic migration guide covers
As of March 2024, Redis moved to a Redis Source Available License and Server Side Public License model, and in 2021 Elasticsearch and Kibana moved to the Server Side Public License and the Elastic License. This guide takes the buyer through the decision that follows: how to find where the relicensed databases run, how to size the production exposure honestly, and how to choose between a community fork, a commercial license, and staying on a known version. It is written for the team carrying the risk, not the vendor selling the license.
Table of contents
- The relicensing timeline and what changed
- Source available versus open source, in plain terms
- Mapping where Redis, Elasticsearch, and Kibana run
- Sizing the production exposure
- Valkey and OpenSearch as open alternatives
- When a commercial license is the right answer
- Sequencing the migration with high availability intact
- A worked exposure map and decision framework
Key takeaways
- A database relicense reaches production faster than teams expect, because upgrades and new clusters pull you onto the new terms.
- The Server Side Public License is source available, not open source, and its service condition matters most to vendors and service providers.
- Valkey and OpenSearch are real open alternatives, and the right choice turns on your features, clients, and support needs.
- A commercial license can be cheaper than a migration where the feature set is deep, but only when negotiated from a usage baseline.
- High availability has to survive the migration, which means running old and new in parallel and cutting over on evidence.
For the full context behind the guide, read the pillar on Redis, Elastic and database relicensing, and see how we put the method to work in open source remediation advisory.
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this white paper.
What is in the Redis and Elastic migration guide?
It is a buyer side method for mapping where the relicensed databases run, sizing the production exposure, weighing Valkey and OpenSearch against a commercial license, and sequencing the migration so high availability holds. It includes a decision framework and a worked exposure map.
Who should read this white paper?
Engineering leaders, CISOs, general counsel, and procurement teams responsible for Redis, Elasticsearch, or Kibana in production. The guide speaks to the buyer carrying the exposure, not the vendor selling the license.
Does the guide cover Valkey and OpenSearch?
Yes. It treats Valkey, the community fork of Redis, and OpenSearch, the fork of Elasticsearch and Kibana, as first class options and sets out when each fits and what the migration costs.
Why do you ask for a work email?
The guide is a professional resource for enterprise teams. A work email lets us confirm the request comes from an organization carrying this exposure and keeps the resource focused on the buyers it is written for.
Is this legal advice?
No. The guide is commercial and licensing risk advisory, not legal advice. For interpretation of the Server Side Public License, the Redis Source Available License, the Elastic License, or any compliance question, engage your own counsel.