Sometimes, if you are experiencing poor performance, it is because you are being attacked by Internet bots. The reason for these attacks is that they are trying to find a security bug in your application code or in the software itself.
An example of a bot attack is attempting to check if the php.cgi binary is disabled. As this is disabled by default, attackers won’t be able to exploit your system, but you will have hundreds or even thousands of connections from the same IP address (or even different IP addresses) trying to “check” every few hours if those binaries or scripts are available.
The Bitnami DreamFactory Stack provides a one-click install solution for DreamFactory. Download installers and virtual machines, or run your own dreamfactory server in the cloud. DreamFactory is an API management gateway. DreamFactory is excited to announce a new partnership with Bitnami.Bitnami makes installing DreamFactory a breeze. Now you can to install the DreamFactory Services Platform with one-click on AWS, VMWare, Windows Azure, Linux, and OS X! Bitnami sat down with DreamFactory founder Bill Appleton to talk a little about DreamFactory’s history and where he sees the platform headed. Thousands of users prefer to install and maintain DreamFactory instances using the popular Bitnami point-and-click installer. These installers include everything you need to begin running DreamFactory, including a built-in database server, web server, and PHP runtime. DreamFactory is an Open Source REST API Platform that can be used to develop modern applications for phones, tablets, and desktop without writing any server software. We can install it on any standalone server, VPS, in the Cloud, or on premises. Also, DreamFactory installers are available for Bitnami, Amazon, Azure, VMWare, OS X, RHEL, CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu, so that you can. Once restarted your DreamFactory Bitnami instance is capable of connecting to an database. After configuring a new API using DreamFactory's service connector, head over to the API Docs tab to confirm you can connect to the database. One of the easiest ways to do so is by executing the following endpoint: GET /table Retrieve one or more Tables.
Our stacks and cloud images come with the latest versions of their components but, even though you are safe from those attacks, your server could experience poor performance because of the traffic they generate.
To know if you are being attacked, run the command below:
This will show you the number of times that an IP address connected to your Web server. If you see that some IP addresses have many more connections than others, run the following command (remember to modify ATTACKER_IP with the correct IP):
If you see that the IP address is always attempting to connect to the same location, if it is a URL that you don’t know, or if it is trying to run binaries or scripts directly, it is likely that IP address is a bot.
Examples of log messages for this scenario are:
To deny connections to these attackers, the easiest way is with your NGINX configuration file. As an example, follow the steps below to reject any connections from the 1.2.3.4 IP address in WordPress:
Edit the file at /opt/bitnami/nginx/conf/nginx.conf and add this to the end of the server block:
To deny access to more than one IP, use the example below:
Restart the NGINX web server:
Regardless of whether you'd like to spin up a DreamFactory instance on your local laptop, within a cloud environment such as AWS or Google Cloud, or Docker, we have a ready-made solution for you!
# The DreamFactory GitHub Repository
Cloning DreamFactory's OSS repository has long been by far the most popular way to access the software. To clone the repository you'll need to install a Git client on your local machine or a server, at which point you can clone it using the following command:
DreamFactory is built atop the very popular Laravel Framework, which is in turn built atop PHP. This means DreamFactory is almost ubiquitously supported in all hosting environments; you'll just need to make sure your hosting environment is running PHP 7.2 or greater, a recent version of a web server such as Apache or NGINX, access to one of four databases for storing configuration data (MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and MS SQL Server are supported), and that you have adequate permissions to install a few requisite PHP extensions. You can learn more about the required software and extensions via our wiki:
# Docker
Our Docker container is increasingly popular, and includes everything you need to run DreamFactory including Ubuntu 16.04, PHP 7.1, and the NGINX web server. It also includes all of the required PHP extensions, meaning you should be able to begin experimenting with the latest DreamFactory version as quickly as you can spin up the container! To learn more about the container, head over to our df-docker repository:
# Bitnami
Many users simply want to evaluate DreamFactory without putting any time or effort whatsoever into procuring a test server or fiddling with configuration issues. If you fall into this category then our Bitnami point-and-click installers are for you! These virtual machines include everything you need to begin running DreamFactory, and include a built-in database server, web server, PHP runtime, and a bunch of other useful software.
Installers are available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. Download your desired version via the following link:
If you're using DreamFactory's commercial Bitnami edition and would like to configure Oracle, follow these instructions:
Dreamfactory Bitnami Default Login
# Cloud Images
Bitnami Dreamfactory 2
Cloud environments are the hosting solution of choice these days, and for good reason. Cloud service providers offer unsurpassed levels of stability, performance, and security, and countless additional features capable of maximizing IT teams' efficiency while minimizing costs. DreamFactory offers Bitnami images targeting all of the major cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google, and Oracle Cloud. Download your desired version via the following link: