Using a Rails JSON API as a backend for desktop app

Question

My company is wanting to use a Rails JSON API app as a backend for a desktop app. The Rails JSON API would use a Postgresql database.

However, some customers self host their data, meaning they have a postgresql server installed on a computer the desktop app uses. Because of these users, we would have to deploy this Rails app and customers would have to run the Rails API server on their machines, including Windows machines. Is this a good idea or even possible?

Answer 1

If your customers are running the db themselves, you probably don't need an api, right?

Otoh, there are tools like portable ruby by the phusion team that let you pacakge up a Ruby app. You can also build the app via JRuby as a jar or war and deploy that in any env with Java