External database notes

Connect apps to third-party databases via Variables and network paths; compare to first-party database Services on dFlow compute.

Written By Zoro

Last updated 3 days ago

dFlow can run database Services for you on your Environment’s compute (Postgres, MySQL, and others).

Many teams also use databases hosted elsewhere: managed cloud SQL, serverless databases, or clusters run by another team.

This page describes how that pattern fits the Application → Environment → Service model, without treating legacy marketing copy as the source of truth.

When the database is not a dFlow database Service

If the data store lives outside the Worker Node or managed compute attached to your Environment:

  • dFlow will not show Internal credentials or Expose for that datastore on a database Service you did not create in dFlow.
  • You typically configure the URL, host, user, and password as environment variables (or secrets) on your App or Docker Service.
  • Reference variables in the dashboard point at other Services in dFlow (for example {{ my-postgres.POSTGRES_URI }}). They do not magically reach a third-party SaaS; put those connection strings in Variables yourself or via your secrets manager integration.

Networking

Your App Service on dFlow must be able to reach the external database over the network:

  • Allow the outbound IPs or network path from your Worker Node (or cloud provider) in the database firewall or allowlist.
  • Use TLS where the provider supports it; follow that vendor’s connection documentation.

dFlow’s internal database hostnames only apply to database Services provisioned on your Environment’s compute.

When to use a Docker Service instead

If you need to run a container image for a database engine dFlow does not list as a one-click Database type, create a Docker service under Services in the sidebar and manage image, Variables, volumes, and backups yourself. That is closer to legacy “custom image” stories than to the managed Database provisioning path.

First-party database Services on dFlow

For databases provisioned by dFlow, use Databases overview, Create a database service, and Database credentials and connections.

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