In a .NET API using Redis, how would you manage Redis connections and timeouts?

Reuse StackExchange.Redis connections and set sane timeouts

Explains why Redis connections are reused, how timeouts protect API threads, and how to diagnose client-side Redis pressure.

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With StackExchange.Redis I would usually reuse a long-lived ConnectionMultiplexer instead of creating a new connection per request. Creating connections repeatedly adds overhead and can exhaust resources. I would set explicit timeouts and handle Redis errors so a slow cache call does not hang the API longer than the caller can wait.

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ConnectionMultiplexer reuse, network latency, timeout settings, thread pool pressure, cancellation, and diagnostics.

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Why this question matters
Redis client ownership and timeout behavior can create incidents even when key design is correct. A shared multiplexer, bounded asynchronous calls, and observable fallback keep cache latency from consuming request capacity.
With StackExchange.Redis I would usually reuse a long-lived ConnectionMultiplexer instead of creating a new connection per request. Creating connections repeatedly adds overhead and can exhaust resources. I would set explicit timeouts and handle Redis errors so a slow cache call does not hang the API longer than the caller can wait.
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I would treat Redis as a remote dependency. Even if it is fast most of the time, it can have latency spikes, network issues, or server pressure. I would keep cache calls bounded, avoid blocking on async calls, and decide whether the API can fall back to the database or return degraded behavior. I would log Redis timeout events with correlation ids and enough context to know which key pattern or endpoint is affected.

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Details

Creating a Redis connection for every request.
Using synchronous calls in hot async API paths.
Increasing timeouts without understanding the pressure source.
Letting cache calls exceed the overall request timeout budget.

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