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The self-hosted architecture gives you full control over your data and code by hosting the Forest back-end in your own infrastructure. This is the most popular deployment option for production applications.

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Architecture overview

Self-Hosted Architecture Diagram

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How it works

  1. Your users access the Forest UI hosted at app.forestadmin.com
  2. Forest UI makes API calls to your back-end
  3. Your back-end runs in your infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Heroku, etc.)
  4. Your back-end queries your database directly
  5. All data stays within your infrastructure
Key benefit: This architecture follows our privacy by design motto. Your data never leaves your infrastructure.

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Components

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Back-end deployment

You can deploy the Forest back-end in two ways, depending on your application architecture:

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In-app deployment

With in-app deployment, the Forest back-end becomes part of your existing application. It runs in the same Node.js or Ruby process, sharing the same database connection pool and resources. When you deploy your application, the back-end deploys with it as a single unit. This approach suits a back-end that needs your application’s running code, such as an in-process service or a transaction to join. It can also read your ORM models directly, but so can a standalone back-end that imports them. In-app Deployment Architecture

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Standalone deployment

Standalone deployment runs the Forest back-end as a completely separate service. It operates in its own process or container with dedicated resources and its own database connection pool. Your application and the back-office are deployed and scaled independently. This architecture provides a cleaner separation of concerns. Your application code stays focused on your business logic, while Forest responsibilities are isolated in their own service. The two services communicate through well-defined boundaries, making your overall system architecture simpler to understand and maintain. This is particularly beneficial as your team grows, developers working on the application don’t need to think about back-office concerns, and vice versa.
Note: Standalone deployment is currently available for Node.js only. If you need standalone deployment with Ruby, please contact our sales team.
Standalone Deployment Architecture
Recommendation: We recommend standalone deployment for cleaner architecture and better separation of concerns. See Deployment options for the cases that call for in-app.

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Privacy by design

The self-hosted architecture is built with privacy as a core principle. Here’s how data flows when a user accesses Forest: When a user opens Forest, the browser loads UI and config from Forest's public endpoints, but all data requests go directly to your Forest back-end behind your firewall, so your data never reaches Forest servers The key principle: Forest’s servers (app.forestadmin.com, api.forestadmin.com) only send configuration and UI code to your browser. All data requests go directly from your browser to your back-end behind your firewall, and your data never leaves your infrastructure.
Looking for a different setup? Forest also offers on-premise deployments where even the Forest UI runs in your own infrastructure. Contact us to find the right fit for your organization.