Before connecting to a Tair (Redis OSS-compatible) instance, get its endpoint from the console. The virtual IP address (VIP) of an instance can change during maintenance, upgrades, or downgrades — always use the instance endpoint (for example, r-2vcl6xcftp1nu7****.com) in your application code.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure that you have:
Added the client IP address to the instance whitelist. For instructions, see Configure whitelists
The endpoint is hidden in the console until a whitelist is configured. If you don't see the endpoint, configure the whitelist first.
Find your endpoint
Log on to the console and go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region where your instance resides, then click the instance ID.
In the Connection Information section, view the available endpoints and port numbers.
The following table describes the fields in the Connection Information section:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Proxy Endpoint | Connects through the Alibaba Cloud-developed proxy. Supports connection aggregation, load balancing, mode switching, and failover. Available for all architectures that support proxy mode. |
| Private Endpoint | Direct connection to the instance over VPC. For standard architecture instances, connects directly to the primary node. For cluster architecture instances, load balancing is handled by the native Redis Cluster. |
| Public Access | Connects over the Internet. Requires a public endpoint — click Apply For Endpoint to request one. Not available for cloud-native cluster instances in direct connection mode. |
After getting the endpoint, connect to your instance. See Use redis-cli to connect to an instance.
Which endpoint to use
Choose based on your instance architecture and network type:
| Architecture | Connection type | VPC | Internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud-native — standard | Direct connection mode | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud-native — cluster¹ | Direct connection mode | Yes | No |
| Cloud-native — cluster¹ | Proxy mode | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud-native — read/write splitting | Proxy mode | Yes | Yes |
| Classic — standard | Direct connection mode | Yes | Yes |
| Classic — cluster² | Proxy mode or direct connection mode | Yes | Yes |
| Classic — read/write splitting | Proxy mode | Yes | Yes |
¹ A cloud-native cluster instance supports only one connection type: direct connection or proxy. The mode is selected at creation and cannot be changed afterward.
² A classic cluster instance supports both direct connection mode and proxy mode.
Use VPC whenever possible. You are not charged for the traffic to connect to Tair instances over the Internet, but VPC provides lower latency and higher security. Reserve Internet access for clients outside Alibaba Cloud (on-premises devices, ECS instances in a different VPC, or third-party cloud services).
Proxy mode and direct connection mode
Proxy Endpoint: Traffic passes through an Alibaba Cloud-developed proxy that handles routing, load balancing, mode switching, and failover. The proxy also supports Alibaba Cloud's proprietary proxy commands. For details, see Tair Proxy features.
Private Endpoint: Traffic goes directly to the instance without a proxy. For standard architecture instances, this means a direct connection to the primary node. For cluster architecture instances, the native Redis Cluster handles routing — the same behavior as connecting to an open-source Redis Cluster.
FAQ
Why isn't the endpoint displayed?
Why can't I find the option to apply for a public endpoint?
Two reasons:
No VPC endpoint shown: This means no whitelist is configured. Configure the whitelist first — the public endpoint option appears after the VPC endpoint is visible.
Cloud-native cluster in direct connection mode: Public endpoints are not supported for this combination. Connect over VPC instead. To check whether your instance is a cloud-native cluster in direct connection mode, go to the Instance Information page and verify the deployment mode and connection type. In the Connection Information section, look for Private Endpoint — its presence confirms direct connection mode. If you need Internet access or your application runs outside the instance's VPC, switch to proxy mode. You cannot change the connection mode after creation — use the Restore Instance feature to restore a backup to a new instance and select Proxy Mode during setup. See Restore data from a backup set.
WarningAfter creating the new instance, update your connection code to use the new endpoint and connection mode. Failing to do so will prevent the application from connecting.
