Storage Providers¶
Apilane supports four storage providers out of the box. Each application can use a different provider, and the choice is made when creating the application.
What Apilane manages
On the storage provider level, Apilane handles creating, renaming, and deleting entities (tables) and properties (columns). It also manages unique and foreign key constraints. It does not provide tools beyond that, such as index management or manual query optimization.
When you save a new application, Apilane creates its tables: those of the system entities (Users, AuthTokens, Files and the differentiation entity, if any) and four helper tables prefixed H_ (H_Entity_Change_Tracking, H_Auth_Email_Confirmation_Tokens, H_Auth_Password_Reset_Tokens and H_Email_Templates).
Give the application its own database
On SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL, Rebuild and Delete drop every table of the connected database (of the current schema on PostgreSQL), not only the ones Apilane created. Delete leaves the empty database in place.
SQLite¶
Best for: Getting started, prototyping, small-to-medium applications.
No additional configuration is required. Apilane creates the database file {FilesPath}/{applicationToken}/{applicationToken}.db automatically in the API's configured FilesPath. Back up that folder: it also holds the uploaded files when LocalFileSystem file storage is used.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Zero configuration | Not ideal for high-concurrency workloads |
| Included with the API server | Single-file storage may limit scalability |
| Perfect for PoC and development | |
| Can support production for moderate workloads |
Migration path
The database type cannot be changed once an application exists. To move an application from SQLite to SQL Server, MySQL or PostgreSQL, clone it (menu of its card on the Applications page), choose the new database type and connection string, and switch on Clone data to copy the records. The copy has a new application token, and the databases differ, so review it before you switch your client over. Uploaded files are never cloned.
SQL Server¶
Best for: Enterprise applications, high-concurrency workloads.
You need to provide a connection string to an existing empty database. The Apilane API service must be able to reach the SQL Server instance. When you save the new application, Apilane connects with the connection string (a wrong one is refused there) and creates all required system tables and columns.
Example connection string:
Server=myserver.database.windows.net;Database=myapp_db;User Id=myuser;Password=mypassword;
Certificate
Add TrustServerCertificate=true; to the connection string when the server has no certificate that the API's host trusts (a self-signed one, for example): the SQL Server driver encrypts the connection and checks the certificate by default.
Your responsibility
Database management (backups, scaling, availability, index optimization) is a developer concern. Apilane handles schema management only.
MySQL¶
Best for: Open-source stacks, Linux-based deployments, cost-sensitive projects.
Same setup as SQL Server — provide a connection string to an existing empty database. Apilane creates all system tables when you save the new application.
Example connection string:
Server=myserver;Database=myapp_db;User=myuser;Password=mypassword;UseXaTransactions=false;
Keep UseXaTransactions=false;
Apilane runs schema changes, custom endpoints, batches and other requests inside a transaction. With the MySQL driver's default (XA transactions) MySQL refuses a schema change made inside a transaction, so changing an entity, importing or rebuilding an application fails. MySQL also commits a schema change (create, alter, drop, rename) at once, so a schema change that fails halfway is not rolled back.
Character set
Create the database with the utf8mb4 character set (the MySQL 8 default), for example CREATE DATABASE myapp_db CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;. Apilane's tables inherit the database default, and utf8mb3/latin1 databases cannot store or filter characters such as emoji.
Your responsibility
Database management (backups, scaling, availability, index optimization) is a developer concern. Apilane handles schema management only.
PostgreSQL¶
Best for: Open-source stacks, cloud-native deployments, applications requiring advanced SQL features.
Same setup as SQL Server and MySQL — provide a connection string to an existing empty database. Apilane creates all system tables when you save the new application. The database user needs the CREATE TABLE privilege there, and Apilane works in the user's current schema (usually public).
Example connection string:
Host=myserver;Database=myapp_db;Username=myuser;Password=mypassword;
Your responsibility
Database management (backups, scaling, availability, index optimization) is a developer concern. Apilane handles schema management only.
Choosing a Provider¶
| Criteria | SQLite | SQL Server | MySQL | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup complexity | None | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Cost | Free | Licensed / Cloud | Free / Cloud | Free / Cloud |
| Concurrent users | Low-Medium | High | High | High |
| Hosting | Bundled with API | Separate server | Separate server | Separate server |
| Best for | Dev / Small apps | Enterprise | Open-source stacks | Open-source / Cloud-native |