Para
Para is a scalable, multitenant backend server/framework for object persistence and retrieval. It accelerates prototyping and deployment by handling backend operations, and can be used standalone or embedded in JVM apps.
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Self-hosted, scalable multitenant backend with pluggable storage and search – an open alternative to Firebase and Parse.
Core Features
- RESTful JSON API with Amazon Signature V4 authentication
- Database-agnostic: supports DynamoDB, Cassandra, MongoDB, etc.
- Full-text search via Lucene or Elasticsearch
- Multitenancy with separate tables, indexes, and caches per app
- Webhooks with signed payloads for secure integration
What It Can't Do
- •Default uses in-memory storage – configure external DB (e.g., DynamoDB, Postgres) for production. 2. The standalone JAR is for server mode; for embedding use Maven/Gradle dependency. 3. Only pull stable Docker tags like :latest_stable; :latest may be broken. 4. Plugins and JDBC drivers must be manually placed in the lib directory.
Use Cases
- Backend for multi-tenant SaaS platforms with isolated data per customer
- Self-hosted alternative to Firebase or Parse for full data control
- Rapid prototyping and MVP development with minimal backend code
Detailed Introduction
Para is a scalable, multitenant backend server/framework for object persistence and retrieval. It helps you build and prototype applications faster by taking care of backend operations. It can be part of your JVM-based application or deployed as a standalone multitenant API server with multiple applications and clients connecting to it. The name 'pára' means 'steam' in Bulgarian, symbolizing its role in powering mobile or web backends. Para offers a RESTful JSON API secured with Amazon's Signature V4 algorithm, is database-agnostic (supports DynamoDB, Cassandra, MongoDB, etc.), and includes full-text search (Lucene, Elasticsearch), distributed caching (Hazelcast, Caffeine), multitenancy, webhooks, Spring Security integration, JWT authentication, resource permissions, constraint validation, optimistic locking, serialization (Jackson), monitoring (Dropwizard), modular design via Google Guice with plugin support, i18n utilities, a standalone executable JAR with embedded Jetty, HTML form handling, MCP server for AI agents, and a web console for administration.
Troubleshooting & FAQ (2)
TroubleshootingHow to fix 'Error loading SQL driver "org.postgresql.Driver", class not found' when running Para with PostgreSQL?
The error occurs because the PostgreSQL JDBC driver JAR is not on the classpath when using java -jar. Instead, run Para using the classpath and main class: java -cp "para-jar-1.48.2.jar:postgresql-42.6.0.jar:para-dao-sql-1.45.10-shaded.jar" com.erudika.para.Para -Dconfig.file=./para-application.conf. Replace the JAR versions with yours. Ensure para.sql.driver is set to org.postgresql.Driver in the configuration. On Windows, use ; instead of : as the classpath separator.
TroubleshootingHow to fix 'Format version is not supported' Lucene error when downgrading Para from 1.31.0 to 1.29.2?
Upgrading to Para 1.31.0 converts the Lucene index to format version 9, which is incompatible with version 1.29.2 (requires 6-8). To downgrade and recover, delete the 'para-lucene' directory located in /para/data/, then restart the server. The application will reindex from the H2 database, restoring search without data loss. Alternatively, stay on version 1.31.0 or later.
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Getting Started
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Install the software
Double-click the downloaded installer and follow the prompts
Step 1: Download the latest executable JAR from GitHub releases
Step 2: Create an application.conf file in the same directory
Step 3: Start with java -jar -Dconfig.file=./application.conf para-*.jar
- Step 1: Download the latest executable JAR from GitHub releases
- Step 2: Create an application.conf file in the same directory
- Step 3: Start with java -jar -Dconfig.file=./application.conf para-*.jar
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Remove the JAR file and configuration. For Docker, stop and remove the container and delete associated volumes.
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