LASTSAVE

Introduction and Use Case(s)

The LASTSAVE command is used to fetch the Unix timestamp of the last successful Redis database save operation. This is particularly useful for monitoring and debugging purposes to ensure that your data has been persisted correctly.

Syntax

  1. LASTSAVE

Parameter Explanations

The LASTSAVE command does not take any parameters. It simply returns the timestamp of the last successful save.

Return Values

The LASTSAVE command returns an integer representing the Unix timestamp of the last successful save operation.

Example:

If the last successful save happened on July 8, 2024, at 12:34:56 PM UTC, the LASTSAVE command will return the corresponding Unix timestamp:

  1. dragonfly> LASTSAVE
  2. (integer) 1657289696

Code Examples

  1. dragonfly> LASTSAVE
  2. (integer) 1657289696

Best Practices

  • Regularly monitor the output of LASTSAVE to keep track of when your data was last saved.
  • Combine LASTSAVE with other commands like BGSAVE or SAVE to programmatically ensure data persistence in backup routines.

Common Mistakes

  • Misinterpreting the returned integer as a direct date-time value. It needs to be converted from a Unix timestamp to a human-readable format.
  • Assuming LASTSAVE triggers a save operation; it only returns the timestamp of the last save.

FAQs

What happens if no save has ever occurred?

If no successful save operation has been performed yet, LASTSAVE will return a Unix timestamp of 0, which corresponds to 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC.

Can LASTSAVE be used to trigger a save?

No, LASTSAVE cannot trigger a save operation. It only retrieves the timestamp of the last save. To trigger a save, use SAVE or BGSAVE.