Allow Redis client configuration per connection

[zlodes]

Currently, Laravel’s database.redis.client setting applies globally. This means that all Redis connections defined under the database.redis configuration key must use the same client (e.g., predis, phpredis, etc.).

Problem

In projects where multiple Redis servers serve different roles, this limitation creates challenges. For example, in our case:

• Stateless Redis – used for locks, cache, sessions, and Prometheus metrics.
• Stateful Redis – used for Laravel Queues (via Laravel Horizon), requiring Redis Sentinel for high availability and persistence.

With the current implementation of \Illuminate\Redis\RedisManager, it’s not possible to assign different clients (drivers) to different connections. This prevents us from configuring one Redis connection with a lightweight client for stateless operations, while another uses a Sentinel-aware client for queues.

Proposal

Introduce the ability to optionally set the Redis client per connection.

• Keep the existing global database.redis.client setting as the default.
• Allow overriding the client driver at the individual connection level when defined in database.redis.

This would provide developers with flexibility to tailor Redis connections based on their role, availability requirements, and client capabilities, without breaking backward compatibility.

Benefits

• Enables mixed Redis setups within the same Laravel application using different Redis clients for different purposes.
• Maintains backward compatibility, since the global database.redis.client remains as the fallback.

[MohannadElemary]

Needed this too, so I put it in a small package until (if) it lands in core: mohannadelemary/laravel-redis-connection-clients

composer require mohannadelemary/laravel-redis-connection-clients

Add a client key to any connection or cluster and only that one switches. The global database.redis.client stays the default for everything else:

'redis' => [
    'client' => env('REDIS_CLIENT', 'phpredis'),

    'default' => [/* phpredis */],

    'queue' => [
        'client' => 'predis', // or a custom client registered with Redis::extend(), e.g. a Sentinel-aware one
        // ...
    ],
],

Laravel 12/13, PHP 8.3+. Feedback welcome.