kividb

kividb [options]

kividb is the KiviDB server, a multi-threaded in-memory key-value store written in Rust. It speaks the Redis protocol (RESP2 and RESP3), so existing Redis clients, `redis-cli`, and libraries talk to it unchanged. Full-text, tag, numeric, and vector search (`FT.*`, including FLAT and HNSW) are built in rather than loaded as a module.The default listen address is `0.0.0.0:6380`, not Redis's 6379, so both can run on the same host. Persistence uses native snapshots (`dump.kdb`, via `SAVE` / `BGSAVE`) and an optional append-only file (`--aof`). With AOF enabled, recovery replays `appendonly.aof`; the file is fsynced about once a second. Vector indexes store their HNSW graph in the snapshot when you save after ingest, so a restart does not have to rebuild the graph from hashes.Worker threads shard the dataset across cores. On Linux the server uses io_uring when --io-model is `auto` or `uring` and the kernel allows it. Lua scripting (`EVAL`, `SCRIPT`, `FUNCTION`, `FCALL`) is compiled in only with `--features lua`. TLS is compiled in only with `--features tls`; a binary without that feature refuses to start if --tls-port is set, rather than serving plaintext.Replication (`--replicaof`) and Redis-style clustering (`--cluster-enabled yes`) are supported. A replica is always read-only. KiviDB does not snapshot on a Redis `save` schedule; use AOF or `BGSAVE`.Release binaries and `.deb` / `.rpm` packages are published on GitHub Releases. Docker images (`kividb/kividb`, `ghcr.io/kividbio/kividb`) listen with `--protected-mode no` by default because a container is never reached from loopback.

--port number

TCP port for plaintext Redis-protocol clients (default: 6380).

Listen address (default: 0.0.0.0). Setting it on the command line or in the config file turns protected mode off.

While the default user has no password and --bind was not set, accept clients from this machine only (default: yes).

Redis-style configuration file (default: `/etc/kividb/kividb.conf`). A missing file is ignored. Command-line flags override the file.

Worker threads. `0` (default) is automatic: all cores below 4, otherwise cores minus 2.

Number of logical databases (default: 16).

Working directory for `dump.kdb`, `appendonly.aof`, backups, and `nodes.conf`. Empty uses the directory the process was started in.

Enable append-only file persistence (`appendonly.aof`).

Memory limit (default: 0, unlimited). Accepts a byte count or a Redis-style unit such as `512mb` or `3gb`.

What happens at the memory limit (default: `noeviction`). Policies include `allkeys-lru`, `allkeys-lfu`, `allkeys-lrm`, `allkeys-random`, and the matching `volatile-*` / `volatile-ttl` forms.

`debug`, `verbose`, `notice` (or `info`), `warning`, or `nothing` (default: `info`).

Append the log to this file instead of standard error.

Log line format (default: `text`).

I/O backend (default: `auto`). On Linux, `auto` uses io_uring when the kernel allows it and falls back to Tokio.

Password for the `default` user.

ACL file to load users from.

Replicate from the given primary.

Password presented to the primary during the replica handshake.

Cluster mode. The cluster bus listens on client port plus 10000; topology is stored in `nodes.conf` (default: no).

Milliseconds without a reply before a peer is suspected to have failed (default: 15000).

TLS listener port. `0` disables TLS. Requires a binary built with the `tls` Cargo feature, plus --tls-cert-file and --tls-key-file.

Server certificate (PEM).

Server private key (PEM).

CA used to verify client certificates.

Whether TLS clients must present a certificate signed by --tls-ca-cert-file (default: yes).

On a release build, ask GitHub once at startup whether a newer tag exists (default: yes). `KIVIDBNOUPDATE_CHECK=1` also turns it off.

Print the full flag list.

Print the version.

/etc/kividb/kividb.conf

Redis-style file: one directive per line (`port 6380`, `appendonly yes`, `bind 127.0.0.1`). Comments start with `#`. Unknown directives are errors. Command-line flags win over the file. `CONFIG REWRITE` can create the file if it is missing.

Native snapshot written by `SAVE` / `BGSAVE` in --dir. Loaded at startup unless an AOF is present.

Append-only log used when --aof / `appendonly yes` is set. When present it is the source of truth on restart.

Cluster topology file (default name; --cluster-config-file changes it).

Protected mode is on by default. Remote clients receive `-DENIED` until you set --requirepass, --bind, or --protected-mode no. Binding to a public address without a password exposes the dataset.The default port is 6380. Point `redis-cli` and other clients at that port, or pass --port 6379.`--maxmemory 0` is unlimited. Without a limit the process can consume all RAM.Lua commands error on a default (non-`lua`) build. --tls-port on a non-`tls` build is fatal.There is no `--daemonize`. Run under a supervisor or systemd. Redis `save` intervals are ignored. `appendfsync` is always once a second.Docker's default seccomp profile often blocks io_uring, so the server falls back to Tokio unless you loosen seccomp.A release build makes one HTTPS request to GitHub at startup unless --update-check no, `update-check no` in the config file, `KIVIDBNOUPDATE_CHECK=1`, or `CI` is set.KiviDB is licensed AGPL-3.0-only. Talking to it over the network does not put client applications under the AGPL; modifying the server and offering that modified version as a network service does.

KiviDB is developed by KIVIDB PRIVATE LIMITED. Version 1.0 was released in October 2026, followed shortly by 1.1.0. It is written in Rust as a Redis-protocol alternative with built-in search, under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.

redis-server(1), redis-cli(1), valkey-server(1), valkey-cli(1), memcached(1)

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