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Connecting with Java

This guide explains how to establish a connection between a Java application and a Valkey database using the Jedis library. It walks through the necessary setup, configuration, and execution of a simple Valkey command.

Variables

Certain parameters must be provided to establish a successful connection to a Valkey database. Below is a breakdown of each required variable, its purpose, and where to find it. Here’s what each variable represents:

Variable

Description

Purpose

HOST

Valkey hostname, from the Elestio service overview page

The address of the server hosting your Valkey instance.

PORT

Port for Valkey connection, from the Elestio service overview page

The network port used to connect to Valkey. The default port is 6379.

PASSWORD

Valkey password, from the Elestio service overview page

The authentication key required to connect securely to Valkey.

These values can usually be found in the Elestio service overview details as shown in the image below, make sure to take a copy of these details and add it to the code moving ahead.

Screenshot 2025-07-04 at 4.12.37 PM.jpg

Prerequisites

Install Java

Check if Java is installed by running:

java -version

If not installed, download it from oracle.com and install.

Download Jedis and Dependencies

The Jedis library enables Java applications to interact with Valkey. You need to download two JAR files manually:

  1. Jedis JAR (Jedis 5.1.0):

    https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/redis/clients/jedis/5.1.0/jedis-5.1.0.jar

  2. Apache Commons Pool2 JAR (Required by Jedis):

    https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/apache/commons/commons-pool2/2.11.1/commons-pool2-2.11.1.jar

Place both JAR files in the same directory as your Java file.

Code

Once all prerequisites are set up, create a new file named Valkey.java and add the following code:

import redis.clients.jedis.JedisPooled;

public class Valkey {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String host = "HOST";
        int port = PORT; // e.g., 6379
        String password = "PASSWORD";

        JedisPooled jedis = new JedisPooled(host, port, password);

        try {
            jedis.set("testKey", "Hello Valkey");
            String value = jedis.get("testKey");

            System.out.println("Connected to Valkey");
            System.out.println("Retrieved value: " + value);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Valkey connection or operation failed: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

To execute the script, open the terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where Valkey.java is located. Once in the correct directory, run the following commands:

On Linux/macOS :

javac -cp "jedis-5.1.0.jar:commons-pool2-2.11.1.jar" Valkey.java
java -cp ".:jedis-5.1.0.jar:commons-pool2-2.11.1.jar" Valkey

On Windows :

javac -cp "jedis-5.1.0.jar;commons-pool2-2.11.1.jar" Valkey.java
java -cp ".;jedis-5.1.0.jar;commons-pool2-2.11.1.jar" Valkey

If the connection is successful, the terminal will display output similar to:

Connected to Valkey  
Retrieved value: Hello Valkey
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