in node.js, socket.io using redis - is this redis available for nomal redis use?

my understanding is that socket.io uses redis

socket.set( 'var', val1 );
var val2 = socket.get( 'var' );

but redis is not in node_modules

does socket.io use its own private instance of redis? if not, is is possible, through a redis client, to access socket.io values stored in redis?

Redis is used by Socket.io to store information about sockets. You need to use it if you have several socket.io servers for the same application.

Obviously you can use this redis for your application if you don't override the data of socket.io.

Socket.io uses the publish/subscribe functionality of redis (see documentation), not the key/value store.