[Bug] Session storage does not work with Redis

[halcyonardency]

Please include this information:

• What Grafana version are you using?
  grafana-4.2.0-1.x86_64
• What datasource are you using?
  graphite
• What OS are you running grafana on?
  CentOS 7-latest
• What did you do?
  Set redis up as a session cache
• What was the expected result?
  Sessions should sustain
• What happened instead?
  Session expire after a few seconds

relevant grafana ini:

[session]
provider = redis
provider_config = addr=1.2.3.4:5000,pool_size=100,password=SECRETS

relevant haproxy config in front of redis:

defaults REDIS
    mode tcp
    timeout connect 3s
    timeout server 6s
    timeout client 6s

frontend front_redis
    bind *:5000 name redis
    tcp-request inspect-delay 100ms
    acl site_dead nbsrv(back_redis) lt 1
    tcp-request connection reject if site_dead
    default_backend back_redis

backend back_redis
    option tcp-check
    tcp-check connect
    tcp-check send AUTH\ SECRETS\r\n
    tcp-check expect string +OK
    tcp-check send PING\r\n
    tcp-check expect string +PONG
    tcp-check send info\ replication\r\n
    tcp-check expect string role:master
    tcp-check send QUIT\r\n
    tcp-check expect string +OK
    server redis_6379 1.2.3.1:6379 check inter 1s
    server redis_6379 1.2.3.2:6379 check inter 1s

I suspect that Grafana expects a forever open connection to redis.. as the redis connection expires after 5-6 seconds of inactivity, Grafana doesn't handle this gracefully, expires the session, reconnects, and creates a new session. This is filling redis with several abandoned sessions. If i constantly refresh my Grafana browser, I stay logged in. If I wait 10 seconds and then refresh grafana, my session is expired (and I am logged out again). As a note, I am also using ldap for authentication which is why maintaining session state is important.

[torkelo]

yes, look like it does not support redis proxies that closes the connection.

Will close this issue as we are working on removing the need for a backend session store:
#7741

Hopefully available in next v4.3 or v4.4

[halcyonardency]

I am attempting to set up a cluster of grafana servers -- in the mean time, is there a work around so my users don't keep getting logged out (other than going to a single grafana server or having connections never expire)?

[torkelo]

is there a way to not have the redis haproxy close connections? other option is to switch to mysql or postgres session storeage (depending on what you use for main db)