Monitor Mode — Bring Your Own Redis

Already running Redis? Monitor mode connects your existing Redis to BullRun so you get the dashboard, alerting, and job management without migrating anything. Your data stays where it is.

What is Monitor mode?

Monitor mode lets you point BullRun at your own Redis instance. A lightweight connector process runs alongside your workers, streaming queue metrics and job metadata to BullRun. You get the full dashboard, alerting, and job management UI — without giving up control of your Redis.

Installation options

Method	Command
npm (global)	`npm install -g @bullrun/connector`
Docker	`docker pull bullrun/connector`
Binary	Download from GitHub Releases

Step-by-step setup

1. Create a BullRun account and project

Sign up at app.bullrun.dev and create a new project. When prompted, select "Bring your own Redis". BullRun will generate an API key for the connector.

2. Install the connector

npm install -g @bullrun/connector

3. Run the connector

bullrun-connector --redis-url redis://your-host:6379 --api-key br_...

4. Docker alternative

docker run -d \
  -e REDIS_URL=redis://your-host:6379 \
  -e BULLRUN_API_KEY=br_... \
  bullrun/connector

5. Verify in the dashboard

Open your project in the BullRun dashboard. A green dot next to the project name means the connector is connected and streaming data. You should see your queues populate within a few seconds.

Firewall requirements

The connector makes an outbound WebSocket connection to api.bullrun.dev:443. No inbound ports need to be opened. If your network restricts outbound traffic, allow HTTPS to api.bullrun.dev.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Connection refused	Verify `--redis-url` is correct and the host is reachable from where the connector runs.
Auth failed	Check the `--api-key` value. You can regenerate it in Project Settings.
Redis not reachable	Ensure the connector can reach your Redis on the network. If Redis requires a password, include it in the URL: `redis://:password@host:6379`.

Ready for managed Redis? Upgrade from Monitor to Managed.