How can I tell if my SignalR Backplane (Redis) is really working as it should?

Question

I'm currently playing SignalR 2.0.3, scaling out with a BackPlane that utilizes Redis for windows http://msopentech.com/blog/2013/04/22/redis-on-windows-stable-and-reliable/

I've integrated with the appropriate SignalR.Redis package in VS.

I made the following changes to my startup:

   GlobalHost.DependencyResolver.UseRedis(
        server: "localhost",
        port: 6379,
        password: string.Empty,
        eventKey: "BroadcasterExample"
        );
    app.MapSignalR(hubConfiguration);

It builds fine. My client appear to connect OK. I can send notifications between client & server and visa versa.

From the Redis-client, I can enter:

get BroadcasterExample
which returns: "3"

I assume that things are working, but...

A couple of question: 1) How can I tell that is actually working?

2) What can I examine on the Redis server (though the Redis-client)?

3) What is getting stored in what data structures (key/value pairs, lists, hashes, sets)?

I would like a little more in depth view as to what is going on. I've looked at the commands on: http://redis.io/commands Nothing is jumping out at me which will help me map what's really going on.

Can someone point me in the right direction here?

Thanks, JohnB

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered May 30 '14 at 17:19

1) I believe you have already verified that it was working when you ran "get BroadcasterExample" and it returned "3". BroadcasterExample is the name of the channel that SignalR will send messages over and I believe the 3 represents the number of messages that have been processed. As you send more messages with SignalR you should see that number increment.

2) A good way to tell that things are working is to subscribe to the BroadcasterExample channel with the redis client and watch the messages come through. From the client, run:

subscribe BroadcasterExample

3) SignalR will probably just store that one key, the "BroadcasterExample" key. SignalR is really just using the publish/subscribe functionality of Redis, not storing any data.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 30 '14 at 21:30

The answer from jaggedaz has useful info. I would also add that you can do a different tyope of test quite quickly by hosting your application twice, under 2 differents ports, using IIS Express. If you then connect 2 browser windows to these 2 different instances and start exchanging messages (like broadcasts to All), you will see them flow across both clients, which is possible only when the backplane is actually working.

How can I tell if my SignalR Backplane (Redis) is really working as it should?

2 Answers2