# Tracker Stores

All conversations are stored within a tracker store. Rasa Open Source provides implementations for different store types out of the box. If you want to use another store, you can also build a custom tracker store by extending the `TrackerStore` class.

## Contents

- [InMemoryTrackerStore (default)](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#inmemorytrackerstore-default)
- [SQLTrackerStore](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#sqltrackerstore)
- [RedisTrackerStore](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#redistrackerstore)
- [MongoTrackerStore](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#mongotrackerstore)
- [DynamoTrackerStore](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#dynamotrackerstore)
- [Custom Tracker Store](https://legacy-docs-v1.rasa.com/1.10.16/api/tracker-stores/#custom-tracker-store)

## InMemoryTrackerStore (default)

### Description
`InMemoryTrackerStore` is the default tracker store. It is used if no other tracker store is configured. It stores the conversation history in memory.

### Note
As this store keeps all history in memory, the entire history is lost if you restart the Rasa server.

### Configuration
To use the `InMemoryTrackerStore` no configuration is needed.

## SQLTrackerStore

### Description
`SQLTrackerStore` can be used to store the conversation history in an SQL database. Storing your trackers this way allows you to query the event database by sender_id, timestamp, action name, intent name and typename.

### Configuration
To set up Rasa Open Source with SQL the following steps are required:
1. Add required configuration to your `endpoints.yml`:
   
   ```
   tracker_store:
       type: SQL
       dialect: "postgresql"  # the dialect used to interact with the db
       url: ""  # (optional) host of the sql db, e.g. "localhost"
       db: "rasa"  # path to your db
       username:  # username used for authentication
       password:  # password used for authentication
       query: # optional dictionary to be added as a query string to the connection URL
         driver: my-driver
   ```

2. To start the Rasa server using your SQL backend,
add the `--endpoints` flag, e.g.:
   
   ```
   rasa run -m models --endpoints endpoints.yml
   ```

3. If deploying your model in Docker Compose, add the service to your `docker-compose.yml`:
   
   ```
   postgres:
     image: postgres:latest
   ```

### Parameters
- `domain` (default: `None`): Domain object associated with this tracker store
- `dialect` (default: `sqlite`): The dialect used to communicate with your SQL backend.
- `url` (default: `None`): URL of your SQL server
- `port` (default: `None`): Port of your SQL server
- `db` (default: `rasa.db`): The path to the database to be used
- `username` (default: `None`): The username which is used for authentication
- `password` (default: `None`): The password which is used for authentication
- `event_broker` (default: `None`): Event broker to publish events to
- `login_db` (default: `None`): Alternative database name to which initially connect, and create the database specified by `db` (PostgreSQL only)
- `query` (default: `None`): Dictionary of options to be passed to the dialect and/or the DBAPI upon connect

### Officially Compatible Databases
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle > 11.0
- SQLite

### Oracle Configuration
To use the SQLTrackerStore with Oracle, create a sequence in the database:

```sql
CREATE SEQUENCE username.events_seq;
```

Next you have to extend the Rasa Open Source image to include the necessary drivers.

```dockerfile
FROM rasa/rasa:1.10.16-full
USER root
RUN apt-get update -qq && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends alien libaio1 && apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /tmp/* /var/tmp/*
COPY oracle.rpm oracle.rpm
RUN pip install cx-Oracle
RUN alien -i oracle.rpm
USER 1001
```

### Example Commands

- Build the docker image:
   
   ```
   docker build . -t rasa-oracle:1.10.16-oracle-full
   ```

## RedisTrackerStore

### Description
`RedisTrackerStore` can be used to store the conversation history in [Redis](https://redis.io/). Redis is a fast in-memory key-value store which can optionally also persist data.

### Configuration
To set up Rasa Open Source with Redis the following steps are required:
1. Start your Redis instance

2. Add required configuration to your `endpoints.yml`:
   
   ```
   tracker_store:
       type: redis
       url: <url of the redis instance, e.g. localhost>
       port: <port of your redis instance, usually 6379>
       db: <number of your database within redis, e.g. 0>
       password: <password used for authentication>
       use_ssl: <whether or not the communication is encrypted, default `false`>
   ```

3. To start the Rasa server using your configured Redis instance,
add the `--endpoints` flag, e.g.:
   
   ```
   rasa run -m models --endpoints endpoints.yml
   ```

## MongoTrackerStore

### Description
`MongoTrackerStore` can be used to store the conversation history in [Mongo](https://www.mongodb.com/). MongoDB is a free and open-source cross-platform document-oriented NoSQL database.

### Configuration
1. Start your MongoDB instance.

2. Add required configuration to your `endpoints.yml`:
   
   ```
   tracker_store:
       type: mongod
       url: <url to your mongo instance, e.g. mongodb://localhost:27017>
       db: <name of the db within your mongo instance, e.g. rasa>
       username: <username used for authentication>
       password: <password used for authentication>
       auth_source: <database name associated with the user’s credentials>
   ```

## DynamoTrackerStore

### Description
`DynamoTrackerStore` can be used to store the conversation history in [DynamoDB](https://aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/). DynamoDB is a hosted NoSQL database offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

### Configuration
1. Start your DynamoDB instance.

2. Add required configuration to your `endpoints.yml`:
   
   ```
   tracker_store:
       type: dynamo
       tablename: <name of the table to create, e.g. rasa>
       region: <name of the region associated with the client>
   ```

## Custom Tracker Store

### Description
If you require a tracker store which is not available out of the box, you can implement your own by extending the base class `TrackerStore`.

### Steps
1. Extend the `TrackerStore` base class. Note that your constructor has to provide a parameter `url`.

2. In your `endpoints.yml` put in the module path to your custom tracker store and the parameters you require:
   
   ```
   tracker_store:
     type: path.to.your.module.Class
     url: localhost
     a_parameter: a value
     another_parameter: another value
   ```

3. If you are deploying in Docker Compose, you have two options to add this store to Rasa Open Source:
   - extending the Rasa image to include the module
   - mounting the module as a volume

### Example of Docker Configuration
```docker-compose
  rasa:
    <existing rasa service configuration>
    volumes:
      - <existing volume mappings, if there are any>
      - ./path/to/your/module.py:/app/path/to/your/module.py
  custom-tracker-store:
    image: custom-image:tag
```

### Summary
The `TrackerStore` is essential for managing conversation histories in Rasa. Different implementations are suited for various needs, be it in-memory storage, using specific SQL databases, or storing in NoSQL solutions.