Add Azure Cache for Redis by using Visual Studio Connected Services
With Visual Studio, you can connect any of the following to Azure Cache for Redis by using the Connected Services feature:
- .NET Framework console app
- ASP.NET Model-View-Controller (MVC) (.NET Framework)
- ASP.NET Core
- .NET Core (including console app, WPF, Windows Forms, class library)
- .NET Core Worker Role
- Azure Functions
- Universal Windows Platform App
- Xamarin
- Cordova
The connected service functionality adds all the needed references and connection code to your project, and modifies your configuration files appropriately.
Prerequisites
- Visual Studio with the Azure workload installed.
- A project of one of the supported types
- An Azure account. If you don't have an Azure account, activate your Azure benefits for Visual Studio subscribers or sign up for a free trial.
Connect to Azure Cache for Redis using Connected Services
Open your project in Visual Studio.
In Solution Explorer, right-click the Connected Services node, and, from the context menu, select Add Connected Service.
If you don't see the Connected Services node, choose Project > Connected Services > Add.
In the Connected Services tab, select the + icon for Service Dependencies.
In the Add Dependency page, select Azure Cache for Redis.
If you aren't signed in already, sign in to your Azure account. If you don't have an Azure account, you can sign up for a free trial.
In the Configure Azure Cache for Redis screen, select an existing Azure Cache for Redis, and select Next.
If you need to create a new component, go to the next step. Otherwise, skip to step 7.
To create an Azure Cache for Redis:
Select Create a new Azure Redis Cache at the bottom of the screen.
Fill out the Azure Cache for Redis: Create new screen, and select Create.
When the Configure Azure Cache for Redis screen is displayed, the new cache appears in the list. Select the new database in the list, and select Next.
Enter a connection string name, or choose the default, and choose whether you want the connection string stored in a local secrets file, or in Azure Key Vault.
The Summary of changes screen shows all the modifications that will be made to your project if you complete the process. If the changes look OK, choose Finish.
The connection appears under the Service Dependencies section of the Connected Services tab.
Note
For .NET Framework projects, Connected Services UI is slightly different. To see the differences, compare to the Visual Studio 2019 version of this page.
Open your project in Visual Studio.
In Solution Explorer, right-click the Connected Services node, and, from the context menu, select Add to open the menu of available services.
If you don't see the Connected Services node, choose Project > Connected Services > Add.
Choose Azure Cache for Redis. The Connect to dependency page appears. You should see two options, one for a local emulator, Redis Cache on container (Local), and one for connecting to the live Azure Cache for Redis service. You can reduce cost and simplify early development by starting with the local emulator. You can migrate to the live service later by repeating these steps and choosing the other option.
If you choose the Azure Cache for Redis locally, click Next to the Connect to Redis cache on container screen.
Specify Container name, Container image, and port mappings or accept the defaults, and click Next to see the Summary of changes screen, which shows what changes would be made to your project. A NuGet package reference is added to your project and the connection code for the local emulator is added to your project.
If you want to connect to the Azure service, continue to the next step, or if you aren't signed in already, sign in to your Azure account before continuing. If you don't have an Azure account, you can sign up for a free trial.
To go with the live service, select Azure Cache for Redis.
If you aren't signed in already, sign in to your Azure account. If you don't have an Azure account, you can sign up for a free trial.
In the Configure Azure Cache for Redis screen, select an existing Azure Cache for Redis, and select Next.
If you need to create a new component, go to the next step. Otherwise, skip to step 7.
To create an Azure Cache for Redis:
Select Create a new Azure Redis Cache at the bottom of the screen.
Fill out the Azure Cache for Redis: Create new screen, and select Create.
When the Configure Azure Cache for Redis screen is displayed, the new cache appears in the list. Select the new database in the list, and select Next.
Enter a connection setting name, or accept the default.
Note
For improved security, in Visual Studio 17.12 and later, this step creates a connection setting name; previous versions create a connection string. Connection strings stored in the local filesystem can lead to a security risk, if they're inadvertently exposed.
Click on Additional settings and choose whether you want the connection setting stored in a local secrets file, or in Azure Key Vault.
The Summary of changes screen shows all the modifications that will be made to your project if you complete the process. If the changes look OK, choose Finish.
In Solution Explorer, double-click on the Connected Services node to open the Connected Services tab. The connection appears under the Service Dependencies section:
If you click on the three dots next to the dependency you added, you can see various options such as Connect to reopen the wizard and change the connection. You can also click the three dots at the top right of the window to see options to start local dependencies, change settings, and more.
Next steps
For ASP.NET apps, common use cases for Azure Cache for Redis are to cache session state or page output (HTTP responses). ASP.NET Core provides built-in services for these use cases, which should be used instead when you're using ASP.NET Core.
To cache session state in an ASP.NET app, see ASP.NET Session State Provider.
To cache page output in an ASP.NET app, see ASP.NET Output Cache Provider.