Redis shifts to dual source-available licensing model

CSPs hosting Redis solutions will now be required to enter into commercial agreements

Redis, a prominent provider of in-memory data store solutions, has announced a significant shift in its open-source licensing strategy.

Rowan Trollope, Chief Executive Officer of Redis, unveiled the transition, stating that future Redis releases will be available under dual RSALv2 (Redis Source Available License version 2) and the SSPLv1 (Server-Side Public License version 1) licenses.

The decision means Redis will cease to be distributed under the three-clause Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) licensing model.

Under the new licensing framework, cloud service providers hosting Redis solutions will be required to enter into commercial agreements with the company.

The RSALv2, a permissive non-copyleft license, grants users the right to use, copy, distribute, and prepare derivative works of the software. However, it is comes with two limitations: prohibiting commercialisation and mandating the retention of licensing and copyright notices.

Conversely, the SSPLv1, while more commonly used, imposes stricter obligations, requiring public release of modifications and source code for management layers if the software is provided as a service.

Redis says its new dual-license approach builds upon Redis' previous adoption for its modules, providing clarity and flexibility for developers in selecting the licensing terms that best suit their needs.

Notably, this change, according to the company, streamlines the distribution of Redis technology, eliminating the need for separate builds and aligning with the company's commitment to simplicity and transparency.

Trollope highlighted the company's dedication to simplifying packaging and delivery while remaining true to the original manifesto of simplicity. By aligning the licensing framework, Trollope said Redis aims to empower developers to access cutting-edge technology seamlessly, without the complexities associated with separate modules.

Julia Liuson, President of the Developer Division at Microsoft, expressed support for Redis' decision, highlighting the collaborative efforts to deliver innovative data storage and management solutions.

"We look forward to continuing our collaborative work to support developers with the latest data storage and management innovations," Liuson said.

"Our collaboration continues to support integrated solutions like Azure Cache for Redis, and will provide Microsoft customers with exclusive access to expanded features within Redis offerings."

Peter Zaitsev, the Founder of Percona, said many users of open-source software do not engage directly with the source code, and for such users, open source serves as a means of getting "the foundation pieces to build their solutions reducing lock-in."

This also ensures "there is fair pricing for solutions they need, which can only come with competition."

"I would argue for Users the current Open Source Definition works pretty well, if anything many users see Permissive Open Source Licenses (APL2, BSD, MIT, etc) as Real Open Source because it allows them the most freedom of using the source code."

In terms of the commercial vendor/investor perspective on Redis's move, Zaitsev remarked: "As you can see, fundamentally we face a question of how many rights and freedoms open source software users should have versus the control creators maintain. Traditional Open Source definition is very much pro-user and all the recent license changes are geared towards shifting this balance away from the users and towards creators. All attempts to 'expand Open Source definition' do the same – they reduce the rights and freedoms required for the software to be called Open Source."

"I believe users need a clear name for the class of licenses that grants them the most freedom, and as such, we should ensure Open Source remains 'user friendly'. At the same time, we need more choices for developers and businesses that require more of their "rights reserved". The innovation happening with new Source Available licenses is fantastic; however, labeling them as Open Source or 'almost as good as open source' is not."