How do you differentiate between a datastore and database?

Not really? This is exactly what the comment before you is calling out.

Using the word "forcefully" to mean "configure it to", is weird, and is just setting the tone of the discussion without adding anything meaningful to it.

> but works best as a transient store

"best". It's odd to see such a strong determination of what a tool should be used for. It works fine as a "transient store", and it also works fine as a database.

sure, as you can use a monkey wrench for all your nuts. it's not going to be as pleasant, and it's going to ruin the nuts eventually.

If you say so. This way of thinking about redis holds so many organizations back.

Seriously, go try it again as a database.

you're missing the point. it's not the capability to handle data. it's the pain to backup a rotating dump file and a full datalog. one could try to backup using a replica, but the rdb gets sent over the wire ayway, and that's a load of bandwidth and disk and everything being thrown at the problem. it's madness.

and that's before considering partitioning. good luck synchronizing snapshots of each shard at the same point in time - your restore will have all kind of inconsistencies for crossreferenced data.