--- title: "DreamFactory Docs | DreamFactory Docs" source: "https://docs.dreamfactory.com/" canonical_url: "https://docs.dreamfactory.com/" converted_at: "2026-04-04T23:38:14.921Z" format: "markdown" converted_by: "html-to-md-ai" --- 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?[​](#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](https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/dreamfactory) 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](https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/dreamfactory/releases) for the latest version, changelog, and upgrade notes. If you are upgrading from an earlier version, see the [Upgrading & Migrating DreamFactory](/upgrades-and-migrations/upgrading-and-migrating-dreamfactory) guide. ## Quick Navigation[​](#quick-navigation) **Developers — build and customize APIs** - [API Generation: Databases](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/generating-a-database-backed-api) — Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle and more - [Event Scripts](/api-generation-and-connections/event-scripts) — Attach PHP, Python, or Node.js logic to any API event - [Scripted Services & Endpoints](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/scripting/scripted-services-and-endpoints) — Build entirely custom API services from script - [Querying & Filtering](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/querying-and-filtering) — Advanced filtering, sorting, pagination, and field selection **DevOps — install and operate DreamFactory** - [Docker Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/docker-installation) — Quickest path to a running instance - [Kubernetes / Helm Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/helm-installation) — Production-grade cluster deployment - [Linux Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/linux-installation) — Traditional Linux server setup - [Windows Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/windows-installation) — Windows Server with IIS **Security teams — govern API access** - [Role-Based Access Control](/Security/role-based-access) — Per-endpoint, per-method, per-field permissions - [SSO & Authentication](/Security/authenticating-your-apis) — SAML, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect, identity passthrough - [API Keys](/api-generation-and-connections/api-keys) — Generate and scope API keys per role **Data teams — connect and query data** - [Database API Overview](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/database-overview) — Supported databases and connector configuration - [Querying & Filtering](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/querying-and-filtering) — DreamFactory's query parameter syntax - [Converting Excel to JSON](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/file/converting-excel-to-json) — Transform Excel workbooks into queryable REST APIs ## Deployment Options[​](#deployment-options) DreamFactory runs wherever your data lives — no cloud dependency, no vendor lock-in. PlatformDescriptionGuide**Docker**Single-command startup using the official Docker image; ideal for dev environments and quick evaluations[Docker Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/docker-installation)**Kubernetes / Helm**Production-grade deployment with the official Helm chart; supports horizontal scaling and secrets management[Helm Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/helm-installation)**Linux**Native installation on Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL, or Amazon Linux using the automated installer script[Linux Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/linux-installation)**Windows Server**IIS-based deployment on Windows Server 2019/2022 with PHP FastCGI[Windows Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/windows-installation)**Raspberry Pi**Lightweight ARM deployment for edge computing and IoT data gateway use cases[Linux Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/linux-installation) --- ## Getting Started[​](#getting-started) New to DreamFactory? Start here to get up and running quickly. ### Install DreamFactory[​](#install-dreamfactory) Choose the deployment that matches your environment: - **[Linux Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/linux-installation)** — Native install on Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL using the automated installer - **[Windows Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/windows-installation)** — Windows Server with IIS and PHP FastCGI - **[Docker Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/docker-installation)** — Single-command startup; ideal for dev environments and quick evaluations - **[Deploy DreamFactory on Kubernetes with Helm](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/helm-installation)** — Production-grade cluster deployment with horizontal scaling - **[Raspberry Pi Installation](/getting-started/installing-dreamfactory/raspberrypi-install)** — ARM64 deployment for edge computing and IoT API gateway use cases - **[Basic Configuration](/getting-started/dreamfactory-configuration/basic-configuration)** — Essential setup after installation ### Connect Your Data[​](#connect-your-data) Generate REST APIs for your databases and file storage in minutes: - **[Generate a Database API](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/generating-a-database-backed-api)** — Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle, and 20+ other databases - **[Query & Filter Data](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/querying-and-filtering)** — Filter, sort, paginate, and use dynamic user placeholders for row-level security - **[Excel to JSON API](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/file/converting-excel-to-json)** — Expose Excel workbooks and CSV files as queryable REST endpoints ### Secure & Govern[​](#secure--govern) Lock down your APIs with enterprise-grade access control: - **[Role-Based Access Control](/Security/role-based-access)** — Per-endpoint, per-method, per-field permissions for every user and app - **[API Keys](/api-generation-and-connections/api-keys)** — Generate scoped API keys and bind them to specific roles - **[Authenticating Your APIs](/Security/authenticating-your-apis)** — SAML, LDAP, OAuth, OpenID Connect, and identity passthrough ### Automate & Extend[​](#automate--extend) Add custom business logic without rebuilding your stack: - **[Event Scripts](/api-generation-and-connections/event-scripts)** — Attach PHP, Python, or Node.js scripts to any API event (pre/post request hooks) - **[Scripted Services & Endpoints](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/scripting/scripted-services-and-endpoints)** — Build fully custom API services from script --- ## API Generation & Connections[​](#api-generation--connections) Learn how to create and manage APIs for your data sources. ### Database APIs[​](#database-apis) - **[Generating Database-Backed APIs](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/generating-a-database-backed-api)** - Connect MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, SQL Server, Oracle, and more - **[Querying & Filtering](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/querying-and-filtering)** - Advanced database queries, filtering, sorting, and pagination - **[SQL Server](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/database/sql-server)** - SQL Server specific configuration ### File Storage APIs[​](#file-storage-apis) - **[Creating AWS S3 REST API](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/file/creating-an-aws-s3-rest-api)** - S3 file storage integration - **[Creating SFTP REST API](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/file/creating-an-sftp-rest-api)** - SFTP server integration - **[Converting Excel to JSON](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/file/converting-excel-to-json)** - Transform Excel files to JSON ### Scripting[​](#scripting) - **[Scripted Services & Endpoints](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/scripting/scripted-services-and-endpoints)** - Add custom business logic with JavaScript, PHP, or Python - **[Event Scripts](/api-generation-and-connections/event-scripts)** - Trigger scripts before/after API calls - **[Scripting Resources](/api-generation-and-connections/api-types/scripting/scripting-resources)** - Available scripting libraries and examples ### General[​](#general) - **[API Keys](/api-generation-and-connections/api-keys)** - Generate and manage API keys - **[Interacting with APIs](/api-generation-and-connections/interacting-with-the-api)** - Making API calls and using the API Docs tab - **[Advanced Database Features](/api-generation-and-connections/advanced-database-api-features)** - Stored procedures, relationships, and virtual fields --- ## Security & Access Control[​](#security--access-control) Implement enterprise-grade security for your APIs. - **[Role-Based Access Control](/Security/role-based-access)** - Define granular permissions for users and endpoints - **[Authentication APIs](/Security/authenticating-your-apis)** - API-based authentication workflows - **[Okta Setup](/Security/creating-your-auth-service/okta-setup)** - Integrate with Okta OAuth - **[SQL Server Security](/Security/sqlsrv-config)** - SQL Server authentication configuration - **[Security FAQ](/Security/security-faq)** - Common security questions answered --- ## System API[​](#system-api) Programmatically manage DreamFactory for automation and DevOps workflows. - **[System API Overview](/system-settings/the-system-api/using-the-system-apis)** - Introduction to the System API - **[User Management](/system-settings/the-system-api/02-user-management)** - Manage users programmatically - **[Service Management](/system-settings/the-system-api/03-service-management)** - Manage services via API - **[Role Management](/system-settings/the-system-api/04-role-management)** - Manage roles via API - **[API Key Management](/system-settings/the-system-api/05-api-key-management)** - Manage API keys via API --- ## Configuration[​](#configuration) - **[CORS & SSL](/system-settings/config/cors-and-ssl)** - Configure CORS and SSL settings - **[Date & Time](/getting-started/dreamfactory-configuration/date-and-time-configuration)** - Time zone and date format settings --- ## Optimization & Performance[​](#optimization--performance) - **[Database Optimization](/getting-started/optimizing-dreamfactory/database-apis)** - Database caching and connection pooling --- ## Upgrades & Migrations[​](#upgrades--migrations) Keep your DreamFactory instance up to date. - **[Upgrading & Migrating DreamFactory](/upgrades-and-migrations/upgrading-and-migrating-dreamfactory)** - Move between environments - **[Upgrading to PHP 8.1](/upgrades-and-migrations/upgrading-to-php-8.1)** - PHP 8.1 migration guide - **[Upgrading PHP on Windows](/upgrades-and-migrations/upgrading-php-on-windows)** - Windows-specific PHP upgrades --- ## Additional Resources[​](#additional-resources) - **[DreamFactory Blog](https://blog.dreamfactory.com)** - Tutorials, use cases, and product updates - **[GitHub Repository](https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/dreamfactory)** - Contribute to the open-source project - **[Legacy Guide](https://guide.dreamfactory.com/docs)** - Previous version documentation