DreamFactory Documentation
DreamFactory is a secure, self-hosted enterprise data access platform that provides governed API access to any data source. Connect enterprise applications and on-prem LLMs to databases, file storage, and external services — with role-based access control, identity passthrough, and full API lifecycle management.
What is DreamFactory?
DreamFactory is a self-hosted API generation platform that instantly creates secure, governed REST and GraphQL APIs for any data source — without writing backend code. Point DreamFactory at a MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, or any of 20+ supported databases and it introspects the schema, generates a fully documented API, and enforces access control — all through a point-and-click admin interface. The same applies to file storage (S3, SFTP, Azure Blob), email providers, caching services (Redis, Memcached), and legacy SOAP services.
DreamFactory is available in two editions. DreamFactory Community Edition is open source under the Apache 2.0 license — the full source code is available on GitHub and can be self-hosted at no cost. DreamFactory Enterprise adds SSO and identity passthrough (SAML, LDAP, Active Directory, OAuth), advanced RBAC with field-level permissions, commercial database connectors (Oracle, IBM Db2, SAP HANA), dedicated support SLAs, and Logstash/ELK audit logging. Both editions are fully self-hosted — no data leaves your infrastructure.
The current stable release is DreamFactory 4.x. See the GitHub releases page for the latest version, changelog, and upgrade notes. If you are upgrading from an earlier version, see the Upgrading & Migrating DreamFactory guide.
Quick Navigation
Developers — build and customize APIs
- API Generation: Databases — Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle and more
- Event Scripts — Attach PHP, Python, or Node.js logic to any API event
- Scripted Services & Endpoints — Build entirely custom API services from script
- Querying & Filtering — Advanced filtering, sorting, pagination, and field selection
DevOps — install and operate DreamFactory
- Docker Installation — Quickest path to a running instance
- Kubernetes / Helm Installation — Production-grade cluster deployment
- Linux Installation — Traditional Linux server setup
- Windows Installation — Windows Server with IIS
Security teams — govern API access
- Role-Based Access Control — Per-endpoint, per-method, per-field permissions
- SSO & Authentication — SAML, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect, identity passthrough
- API Keys — Generate and scope API keys per role
Data teams — connect and query data
- Database API Overview — Supported databases and connector configuration
- Querying & Filtering — DreamFactory's query parameter syntax
- Converting Excel to JSON — Transform Excel workbooks into queryable REST APIs
Deployment Options
DreamFactory runs wherever your data lives — no cloud dependency, no vendor lock-in.
| Platform | Description | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Docker | Single-command startup using the official Docker image; ideal for dev environments and quick evaluations | Docker Installation |
| Kubernetes / Helm | Production-grade deployment with the official Helm chart; supports horizontal scaling and secrets management | Helm Installation |
| Linux | Native installation on Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL, or Amazon Linux using the automated installer script | Linux Installation |
| Windows Server | IIS-based deployment on Windows Server 2019/2022 with PHP FastCGI | Windows Installation |
| Raspberry Pi | Lightweight ARM deployment for edge computing and IoT data gateway use cases | Linux Installation |
Getting Started
New to DreamFactory? Start here to get up and running quickly.
Install DreamFactory
Choose the deployment that matches your environment:
- Linux Installation — Native install on Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL using the automated installer
- Windows Installation — Windows Server with IIS and PHP FastCGI
- Docker Installation — Single-command startup; ideal for dev environments and quick evaluations
- Deploy DreamFactory on Kubernetes with Helm — Production-grade cluster deployment with horizontal scaling
- Raspberry Pi Installation — ARM64 deployment for edge computing and IoT API gateway use cases
- Basic Configuration — Essential setup after installation
Connect Your Data
Generate REST APIs for your databases and file storage in minutes:
- Generate a Database API — Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle, and 20+ other databases
- Query & Filter Data — Filter, sort, paginate, and use dynamic user placeholders for row-level security
- Excel to JSON API — Expose Excel workbooks and CSV files as queryable REST endpoints
Secure & Govern
Lock down your APIs with enterprise-grade access control:
- Role-Based Access Control — Per-endpoint, per-method, per-field permissions for every user and app
- API Keys — Generate scoped API keys and bind them to specific roles
- Authenticating Your APIs — SAML, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect, and identity passthrough
Automate & Extend
Add custom business logic without rebuilding your stack:
- Event Scripts — Attach PHP, Python, or Node.js scripts to any API event (pre/post request hooks)
- Scripted Services & Endpoints — Build fully custom API services from script
API Generation & Connections
Learn how to create and manage APIs for your data sources.
Database APIs
- Generating Database-Backed APIs - Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle, and more
- Querying & Filtering - Advanced database queries, filtering, sorting, and pagination
- SQL Server - SQL Server specific configuration
File Storage APIs
- Creating AWS S3 REST API - S3 file storage integration
- Creating SFTP REST API - SFTP server integration
- Converting Excel to JSON - Transform Excel files to JSON
Scripting
- Scripted Services & Endpoints - Add custom business logic with JavaScript, PHP, or Python
- Event Scripts - Trigger scripts before/after API calls
- Scripting Resources - Available scripting libraries and examples
General
- API Keys - Generate and manage API keys
- Interacting with APIs - Making API calls and using the API Docs tab
- Advanced Database Features - Stored procedures, relationships, and virtual fields
Security & Access Control
Implement enterprise-grade security for your APIs.
- Role-Based Access Control - Define granular permissions for users and endpoints
- Authentication APIs - API-based authentication workflows
- Okta Setup - Integrate with Okta OAuth
- SQL Server Security - SQL Server authentication configuration
- Security FAQ - Common security questions answered
System API
Programmatically manage DreamFactory for automation and DevOps workflows.
- System API Overview - Introduction to the System API
- User Management - Manage users programmatically
- Service Management - Manage services via API
- Role Management - Manage roles via API
- API Key Management - Manage API keys via API
Configuration
- CORS & SSL - Configure CORS and SSL settings
- Date & Time - Time zone and date format settings
Optimization & Performance
- Database Optimization - Database caching and connection pooling
Upgrades & Migrations
Keep your DreamFactory instance up to date.
- Upgrading & Migrating DreamFactory - Move between environments
- Upgrading to PHP 8.1 - PHP 8.1 migration guide
- Upgrading PHP on Windows - Windows-specific PHP upgrades
Additional Resources
- DreamFactory Blog - Tutorials, use cases, and product updates
- GitHub Repository - Contribute to the open-source project
- Legacy Guide - Previous version documentation