docker-data-api-builder

name	docker-data-api-builder
description	Run SQL Server and Data API Builder locally with Docker Compose, including optional SQL Commander and MCP Inspector services.
license	MIT

Docker Data API Builder

Use when

• You need local containerized DAB development.
• You want predictable startup ordering and health checks.

Workflow

1. Define a gitignored .env for secrets.
2. Configure SQL Server with a sqlcmd health check.
3. Run DAB from mcr.microsoft.com/azure-databases/data-api-builder:<tag>.
4. Mount dab-config.json read-only at /App/dab-config.json or pass --ConfigFileName.
5. Apply schema before DAB, then verify http://localhost:5000/health.

Guardrails

• Use service names for container-to-container connections.
• In DAB config, prefer @env('DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING'); set DATABASE_CONNECTION_STRING in Compose.
• Do not use the stale Docker Hub repo name azure/data-api-builder; use Microsoft Container Registry.
• DAB defaults to port 5000; /health is the health endpoint and /swagger is development-only.
• Compose depends_on: { condition: service_healthy } is valid with current Docker Compose, but health checks must be real readiness checks.
• Avoid using sa for long-term app connections.

Related skills

• data-api-builder-config
• aspire-data-api-builder

Microsoft Learn

• https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/data-api-builder/quickstart-sql
• https://mcr.microsoft.com/v2/azure-databases/data-api-builder/tags/list