DreamFactory is a self-hosted platform providing governed API access to any data source for enterprise apps and local LLMs.

Documentation ∙ Getting Started Guide ∙ Contribute ∙ Community Support

  

  

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Table of Contents

• What is DreamFactory?
• How It Works
• Key Features
• Supported Data Sources
• MCP Server for AI and LLM Integration
• Installation
• Documentation
• Community and Support
• Commercial Licenses
• FAQ
• Feedback and Contributions

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What is DreamFactory?

DreamFactory is a secure, self-hosted enterprise data access platform that provides governed API access to any data source, connecting enterprise applications and on-prem LLMs with role-based access and identity passthrough.

DreamFactory is built on the Laravel framework and serves as a governed AI data access layer between your applications and data sources. Whether you're building internal tools, mobile apps, or connecting AI models to enterprise data, DreamFactory provides a single, secure AI data gateway.

Use Cases

• API-first development — Generate REST APIs for existing databases without writing backend code
• AI and LLM data access — Connect ChatGPT, Claude, or local LLMs to enterprise data via MCP or REST APIs with governed access controls
• Legacy database modernization — Wrap SQL Server stored procedures, Oracle databases, and mainframe data in modern REST APIs
• Microservices backend — Replace hand-coded CRUD APIs with auto-generated, documented endpoints
• Mobile and web app backend — Provide secure, role-based data access for frontend applications
• Data integration — Combine multiple databases and services behind a single API gateway

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How It Works

DreamFactory connects to your database, introspects the schema, and generates a complete REST API with full CRUD operations, relationship handling, stored procedure access, and OpenAPI/Swagger documentation — all in minutes.

See how DreamFactory connects AI models, applications, databases, and file storage services through governed MCP and REST API endpoints.

Quick Start:

1. Install DreamFactory on Linux, Windows, Docker, or Kubernetes
2. Connect a database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, etc.)
3. DreamFactory auto-generates a REST API with full OpenAPI documentation
4. Configure roles, API keys, and access controls
5. Call your APIs from any application, script, or AI model

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Key Features

API Generation

• Automatic REST API creation for SQL and NoSQL databases — no code required
• OpenAPI/Swagger documentation generated automatically for every endpoint
• Stored procedure and function support — expose database logic as API endpoints
• Related data retrieval — fetch parent/child records in a single API call
• Server-side filtering, sorting, and pagination built into every endpoint
• Bulk insert, update, and delete operations for high-throughput data access

Security and Access Control

• Role-based access control (RBAC) — granular permissions per table, endpoint, and HTTP verb
• API key management — issue, revoke, and rate-limit API keys per application
• SSO authentication — SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, Azure AD, LDAP/Active Directory
• API rate limiting — throttle requests per user, role, or service
• Audit logging — track every API call with user, timestamp, and payload
• Data masking and field-level security — control which columns are visible per role

Extensibility

• Server-side scripting — customize API behavior with PHP, Python, or Node.js at any endpoint
• Pre- and post-process event scripts — transform requests and responses
• Custom service creation — build and register your own API services
• Webhook and event broadcasting — trigger external workflows on data changes

MCP Server (Model Context Protocol)

• Built-in MCP server for connecting AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, local LLMs) to your databases
• Governed AI data access — AI queries go through DreamFactory's RBAC and audit logging
• Deterministic database queries — AI uses structured API calls, not raw SQL generation
  • Tool definitions — expose database tables and stored procedures as MCP tools

Administration

• Web-based admin console — manage services, roles, users, and API keys from a browser
• Multi-tenant support — host multiple isolated API environments on a single instance
• Database schema management — create, modify, and manage tables via API or admin UI
• API usage dashboards — monitor request volume, errors, and performance

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Supported Data Sources

DreamFactory connects to a wide range of databases and services out of the box.

SQL Databases

NoSQL Databases

File Storage and Other Services

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MCP Server for AI and LLM Integration

DreamFactory includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants and large language models to securely query your databases through governed API endpoints.

Why Use DreamFactory as an MCP Server?

• No raw SQL generation — AI models call structured API endpoints instead of generating unpredictable SQL queries
• Enterprise security — Every AI query passes through DreamFactory's role-based access control and audit logging
• Works with any MCP client — Compatible with Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP-enabled tools
• Stored procedure support — Expose complex business logic as simple tool calls for AI models

Getting Started with MCP

# Install DreamFactory with MCP support using NPX
npx @dreamfactory/create-df-mcp

Or configure your existing DreamFactory instance as an MCP server. See the MCP Server documentation for setup instructions.

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Installation

DreamFactory can be installed on Linux, Windows, Docker, or Kubernetes.

Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL, Fedora)

Install DreamFactory and all dependencies in under 5 minutes using our automated installers:

git clone https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/dreamfactory.git
cd dreamfactory/installers
sudo bash dfsetup.run

See the Linux installers directory for supported distributions.

Windows

Follow our step-by-step guide for installing DreamFactory on Windows with IIS or Apache:

Windows Installation Guide

Docker

The fastest way to get started. Spins up DreamFactory, MySQL, Redis, and a sample PostgreSQL database:

git clone https://github.com/dreamfactorysoftware/df-docker.git
cd df-docker
docker compose up -d

See the df-docker repository for full instructions.

Kubernetes (Helm)

Deploy DreamFactory to your Kubernetes cluster using our official Helm chart:

helm repo add dreamfactory https://dreamfactorysoftware.github.io/df-helm
helm install dreamfactory dreamfactory/dreamfactory

See the df-helm repository for configuration options.

NPX Quick Install

Our Node-based installer sets up DreamFactory with optional MCP server and a PostgreSQL test database:

npx @dreamfactory/create-df-mcp

See the NPX installer on npm for details.

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Documentation

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Community and Support

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Commercial Licenses

Need official technical support? Looking for advanced connectors for SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, or SOAP? Require API rate limiting, audit logging, or multi-tenant support? Schedule a demo with our team.

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FAQ

What databases does DreamFactory support?

DreamFactory supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MongoDB, Cassandra, Couchbase, CouchDB, IBM Db2, Firebird, SAP SQL Anywhere, Snowflake, and Apache Spark/Databricks. It also supports file storage (local, S3, Azure Blob, SFTP), email, and SOAP-to-REST conversion.

How does DreamFactory generate REST APIs?

DreamFactory connects to your database, introspects the schema (tables, views, stored procedures, relationships), and automatically generates a full set of REST endpoints with CRUD operations. Each endpoint is documented with an OpenAPI/Swagger specification. No code generation or compilation step is required — APIs are available immediately.

Is DreamFactory open source?

Yes. DreamFactory's core platform is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. A commercial edition is available with additional connectors (SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake), enterprise security features (LDAP, SAML, audit logging), and official support.

How does DreamFactory work with AI and LLMs?

DreamFactory includes a built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to query your databases through governed API endpoints. Instead of generating raw SQL, AI models call DreamFactory's structured REST API — with full role-based access control and audit logging applied to every request.

Can DreamFactory replace a custom backend API?

For standard CRUD operations, yes. DreamFactory generates feature-complete REST APIs with filtering, sorting, pagination, bulk operations, relationship handling, and stored procedure support. Custom business logic can be added via server-side scripting in PHP, Python, or Node.js.

How does DreamFactory handle authentication?

DreamFactory supports API key authentication, session-based authentication, and SSO via SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, Azure AD, and LDAP/Active Directory. Each authentication method integrates with DreamFactory's role-based access control system.

Can I use DreamFactory as an AI data gateway?

Yes. DreamFactory acts as a centralized AI data gateway that unifies access to multiple databases and services. You can connect several databases, apply consistent security policies, and expose them through a single API endpoint or MCP endpoint with unified documentation.

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Feedback and Contributions

Feedback is welcome on our community forum or in the form of pull requests and/or issues. Contributions should follow the strategy outlined in "Contributing to a project".

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