What is DoubleDino?
Production is where the answers are. Production is also where your sensitive data lives.
DoubleDino lets developers work with production data without exposing the original sensitive values.
DoubleDino is a small, self-hosted binary that runs inside your infrastructure and transforms data before it is returned to developers or written to another environment.
The model is simple:
One DoubleDino instance → one data source.
Each instance runs in one of two modes:
- Clone — transform a source into a separate destination database.
- Transformation Proxy — query a source and return transformed results.
Because each instance is lightweight and independent, you can run separate instances for different databases, environments, or workflows.
No agents. No SDKs. No application changes. No external data-processing service.
Clone
Create a realistic, transformed copy of production.
DoubleDino reads a data source, transforms sensitive values, preserves relationships and useful data characteristics, and writes the result to a destination of the same type.
Use Clone when you need production-like data for:
- Development
- Testing and QA
- Reproducing production bugs
- Analytics
- Training and experimentation
Once the clone is complete, DoubleDino can exit. The transformed destination is a standalone dataset that can be used without direct access to the original sensitive values.
Transformation Proxy
Investigate production without exposing the original values.
DoubleDino connects to a data source and provides a lightweight query interface for developers.
Developers can use the query language of the underlying data source where supported. DoubleDino executes the query against the source and transforms the returned data before sending the response.
Use the Transformation Proxy when you need the current state of production, for example when:
- Debugging a production issue
- Investigating a customer problem
- Building internal engineering tools
- Inspecting live production data
The developer gets the production context they need, while sensitive values are transformed before they leave DoubleDino.
One instance, one source
Each DoubleDino instance connects to exactly one data source.
In Clone mode, an instance has:
one source + one destination
In Transformation Proxy mode, an instance has:
one source + transformed responses
This keeps each deployment small, isolated, and easy to understand.
You can run separate instances for different databases, environments, teams, or workflows. Start an instance when you need it and stop it when the workflow is complete.
Deterministic transformation
DoubleDino transforms sensitive values while preserving the structure and relationships that make production data useful.
Transformation is deterministic: when the same secret key is used, the same input produces the same transformed output.
This allows related values to remain consistent across records and queries.
For example, if the same customer identifier appears in multiple records, its transformed representation can remain consistent so relationships and joins continue to work.
DoubleDino can also be configured to preserve specific expressions or exclude specific keys from transformation.
Supported data sources
DoubleDino currently supports:
The query interface follows the underlying data source where possible. Some sources have source-specific request formats.
Keep production context. Protect production data.
DoubleDino is designed around a simple principle:
Developers need production context. They don't necessarily need production identities.
Your data stays inside your infrastructure while DoubleDino transforms sensitive values before they are exposed to developers or written into another environment.
DoubleDino is a transformation layer. It does not replace authentication, authorization, database permissions, or other security controls.
Continue with the 2-Minute Guide to download, configure, run, and use your first DoubleDino instance.