Deploy Data API builder to Azure Container Apps

• An Azure account with an active subscription. Create an account for free.

• Data API builder CLI. Install the CLI.

• Azure CLI. Install the Azure CLI.

• Existing supported database addressable from Azure.

To start, build a Data API builder (DAB) configuration file to connect to your existing database. This file is used later with the final container.

1. Create an empty directory on your local machine to store the configuration file.

2. Initialize a new base configuration file using dab init. Use the following settings at a minimum on initialization.

   Setting	Value
   Database type	Select a supported database type.
   Connection string	Use the @env() function to reference the DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING environment variable.

   dab init --database-type "<database-type>" --connection-string "@env('DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING')"
   

   Important

   Some database types will require additional configuration settings on initialization.

3. Add at least one database entity to the configuration. Use the dab add command to configure an entity. Configure each entity to allow all permissions for anonymous users. Repeat dab add as many times as you like for your entities.

   dab add "<entity-name>" --source "<schema>.<table>" --permissions "anonymous:*"
   

4. Open and review the contents of the dab-config.json file. You use this file later in this guide.

Next, upload the configuration file to a file share created within Azure Files. This file share is eventually mounted to the final container as a volume.

1. Sign into the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com).

2. Create a new resource group. You will use this resource group to for all new resources in this guide.

   

   Tip

   We recommend naming the resource group msdocs-dab-aca. All screenshots in this guide use this name.

3. Create an Azure Storage account. Use these settings to configure the account.

   Setting	Value
   Resource group	Select the resource group you created earlier
   Storage account name	Enter a globally unique name
   Region	Select an Azure region
   Performance	Select Standard
   Redundancy	Select Locally-redundant storage (LRS)
   Enable storage account key access	Select Enabled

   

4. Navigate to the new storage account in the Azure portal.

5. Select File shares in the Data storage section of the resource menu. Then, select File share from the command bar to create a new share in the storage account. Use the following settings to configure the new file share.

   Setting	Value
   Name	Enter config
   Access tier	Select Hot
   Enable backup	Do not select

   

6. Upload the dab-config.json and any other required files to the share. Use the Upload option in the command bar to open the Upload files dialog. Select both files and then select Upload.

   

7. Select Access keys in the Security + networking section of the resource menu. Then, record the Storage account name and Key values from this page. You will use these values later in this guide.

   

Now, create the container in Azure using Azure Container Apps. This container hosts the Data API builder image without a configuration.

1. Create an Azure Container Apps resource. As part of the process of creating the app resource, you will be required to create an environment. Use these settings to configure both resources.

   Resource	Setting	Value
   Environment	Environment name	Enter a globally unique name
   Environment	Environment type	Select Consumption only
   Environment	Logs destination	Select Don't save logs
   App	Resource group	Select the resource group you created earlier
   App	Storage account name	Enter a globally unique name
   App	Region	Select the same region as the storage account
   App	Use quickstart image	Do not select
   App	Image source	Select Docker Hub or other registries
   App	Image type	Select Public
   App	Registry login server	Enter mcr.microsoft.com
   App	Image and tag	Enter azure-databases/data-api-builder:latest
   App	Environment variables - Name	Enter DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING
   App	Environment variables - Value	Enter the connection string for your database.
   App	Ingress	Ensure Enabled is selected
   App	Ingress traffic	Select Accepting traffic from anywhere
   App	Client certificate mode	Select Ignore
   App	Ingress type	Select HTTP
   App	Target port	Enter 5000

   

   

   Tip

   We recommend using a connection string that does not include authorization keys. Instead, use managed identities and role-based access control to manage access between your database and host. For more information, see Azure services that use managed identities.

2. Navigate to the new container app in the Azure portal.

3. Use the Application URL field in the Essentials section to browse to the container app's website. Observe the response indicating that the DAB container is running and the status is healthy.

   {
     "status": "healthy",
     "version": "0.12.0",
     "app-name": "dab_oss_0.12.0"
   }
   

   Note

   The version number and name will vary based on your current version of Data API builder. At this point, you cannot navigate to any API endpoints. These endpoints will be available once you mount a DAB configuration file.

Finally, mount the configuration files from the Azure Files share to the container app. This step allows the Data API builder to use the configuration file to connect to your database.

1. Navigate to the container environment created previously in this guide using the Azure portal.

2. Select Azure files in the Settings section of the resource menu. Then, select Add from the command bar to add an existing file share to the container environment. Use the following settings to configure the new file share. Then save the new file share configuration.

   Setting	Value
   Name	Enter config-share
   Storage account name	Name of the storage account recorded earlier in this guide.
   Storage account key	Key of the storage account recorded earlier in this guide.
   File share	Enter config
   Access mode	Select Read only

   

3. Navigate to the container app again in the Azure portal.

4. Select Revisions and replicas in the Application section of the resource menu. Then, select Create new revision from the command bar to start the process of configuring a new revision for your container app.

   

5. Navigate to the Volumes section and select the Add option. Use the following settings to configure the new volume. After configuring the volume, Add the volume to the container revision.

   Setting	Value
   Volume type	Select Azure file volume
   Name	Enter config-volume
   File share	Enter config

   

6. Navigatte to the Container section, select the single current container, and then select the Edit option. Use the following settings to configure two mounts for the container. Save your changes.

   Setting	Value
   Volume name	Enter config-volume
   Mount path	Enter /App/dab-config.json
   Sub path	Enter dab-config.json

   Setting	Value
   Volume name	Enter config-volume
   Mount path	Enter /App/schema.graphql
   Sub path	Enter schema.graphql

   

7. Select Create to create a new revision with the volume mounts you specified. With for the revision to finish deploying.

8. Use the Application URL field in the Essentials section to browse to the container app's website again. Observe that the response still indicates that the DAB container is healthy.

9. Navigate to the /api/swagger path for the current running application. Use the Swagger UI to issue a HTTP GET request for one of your entities.

When you no longer need the sample application or resources, remove the corresponding deployment and all resources.

1. Navigate to the resource group using the Azure portal.

2. In the command bar, select Delete.