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Bani

An open-source database migration engine powered by Apache Arrow.

CI License Python

Bani moves data between databases using Apache Arrow as the in-memory interchange format. Define your migration in BDL (Bani Definition Language), then run it from the CLI, Python SDK, MCP server, or Web UI.

Feature Highlights

  • 5 Connectors -- PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and SQLite, each with source and sink support.
  • Arrow Engine -- All data flows as pyarrow.RecordBatch between connectors. N type mappers, not N*N.
  • BDL (Bani Definition Language) -- Declarative XML or JSON format for defining migrations with table selections, column mappings, type overrides, hooks, schedules, and incremental sync.
  • Web UI -- React dashboard for building migrations visually, monitoring progress in real-time, and browsing schemas -- no command line required.
  • Cross-Platform Installers -- Native installers for macOS (.dmg with menu bar app), Windows (.exe), and Linux (.deb, .rpm, AppImage). Download, install, and start migrating.
  • Docker -- Multi-arch container image with all 5 database drivers pre-installed. docker pull banilabs/bani:latest and go.
  • AI Agent Integration -- MCP server with 10 tools that let AI agents (Claude, Cursor, etc.) discover connections, generate BDL, validate, preview, and execute migrations.
  • CLI -- 11 commands covering run, validate, preview, init, schema inspect, schedule, connectors, mcp, ui, and version.
  • Python SDK -- ProjectBuilder for fluent project construction, Bani.load() for file-based loading, SchemaInspector for live introspection.

Quick Start

Download and install

Bani runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Docker. Download the installer for your platform from the releases page, or pull the Docker image:

docker pull banilabs/bani:latest

Launch and use the Web UI

On macOS and Windows, Bani runs as a background app with a menu bar or system tray icon. After installing, the browser opens automatically with the Web UI. From there you can:

  1. Add connections -- point Bani at your source and target databases.
  2. Browse schemas -- explore tables, columns, and relationships visually.
  3. Build a migration -- select tables, configure column mappings and type overrides.
  4. Run and monitor -- execute the migration and watch progress in real-time.

Close the browser and Bani keeps running in the background. Click the tray/menu bar icon to reopen it. No command line needed.

On Linux and Docker, run bani ui to start the server and open the browser.

Or use the CLI

# Scaffold a new migration project
bani init --source mysql --target postgresql

# Validate the generated BDL file
bani validate migration.bdl

# Run the migration
bani run migration.bdl

Or let an AI agent do it

Connect Bani's MCP server to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible AI agent. The agent can inspect schemas, generate migration definitions, and run them -- all through natural language.

See the Getting Started guide for a complete walkthrough.

Documentation

Section Description
Getting Started Install, configure, and run your first migration
Web UI Guide Dashboard, connections, schema browser, projects, migration monitor
BDL Reference Full specification of the Bani Definition Language
CLI Reference All commands, flags, and output formats
Python SDK Build and run migrations programmatically
MCP Server AI agent integration via Model Context Protocol
Docker Container-based deployment
Connectors Per-database setup, type mappings, and performance notes
Architecture Hexagonal design, Arrow interchange, connector discovery
Contributing Development setup, quality gates, PR process
API Reference Auto-generated from source docstrings
Changelog Release history

License

Bani is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.