DreamFactory Launches Updated MBaaS Services Platform for Mobile Enterprise App Development

DreamFactory has introduced DreamFactory 1.5, a MBaaS platform that allows developers to connect mobile apps with back-end services.

The platform focuses on two areas. First, it lets developers securely connect mobile users with existing enterprise databases and control record-level data visibility. Second, it offers new scripting functionality to customize the REST API requests and responses on the server.

DreamFactory can be installed on any server - in the cloud or on premises. The open source software package is available on GitHub under the Apache License and can be installed on Bitnami, WAMP, LAMP, Amazon, Azure, VMware, CentOS, Debian, Red Hat, or Ubuntu.

The platform can provide the ability to connect to any database, file storage system, or external service. DreamFactory supports all SQL databases including MySQL, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL and supports most NoSQL databases including MongoDB, and many file storage systems.

Using the platform, developers can create modern applications for the phone, tablet, or desktop without writing server software. DreamFactory dynamically generates Client SDKs for HTML5 frameworks like jQuery, AngularJS, and Sencha, and for native client technologies including iOS, Windows 8, and Android.

 

New features include:

Lookup Keys: DreamFactory 1.5 can now securely connect a client-side login with the corresponding user or role in a SQL or NoSQL database. This allows existing security permissions to be inherited by the REST API platform. Lookup Keys can be used for the secure storage of the master credentials required for integration with an external system such as Amazon S3 or MongoDB. Lookup Keys can also be used to provide user- and role-based session information to the email service, email templates, external integration service, and URL integration links.

Server-Side Filters: The platform provides the ability to move past record-level access control of sensitive enterprise data that requires extensive server-side software development. With DreamFactory 1.5, an administrator can configure server-side filters to provide fine-grained access control for database records without writing any code. Record-level access can be limited by user, role, application, or any field value. Server-side filters can be used on both SQL and NoSQL databases. All of this functionality is enforced on the server, so the security and privacy of enterprise information is never in jeopardy.

Server-Side Events: This feature enables the server to reach out to the client, unlocking new interactions. Custom scripts can be triggered at any point in the REST pipeline, and event information such as status and alerts can be posted to the client application. 

Server-Side Scripting: Developers can program the server itself to trigger and execute processes that add functionality to mobile apps - taking advantage of the inherent security of restricting processing to the secure server. Use cases include formula fields (create synthetic fields with dynamic or calculated information), field validations (write custom validations on any data field), workflow triggers (send out a push notification, email, or event under specific conditions), access control (implement fine-grained user access control of fields or objects), and custom limits (counting service transactions, or metering total throughput).

More information is available here.