Migrate DigitalOcean Droplet app: Laravel

Move Laravel compute from DigitalOcean Droplet app to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: the app built, started and answered on its public HTTPS URL with encrypted configuration delivered.

Summary

• Source procedure: Collect the process environment from the droplet (systemd unit, PM2 or supervisor config) into an env file kept out of the repository.
• Not migrated automatically: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database.
• Cutover: Add the custom domain with ample domain add, update DNS from the droplet IP, keep the droplet until verified, then power it off.
• Rollback: Keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

Workflow Steps

1. Inventory the source
   List what DigitalOcean Droplet app provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database.

2. Source step 1
   Collect the process environment from the droplet (systemd unit, PM2 or supervisor config) into an env file kept out of the repository.

3. Source step 2
   Replace the droplet's process manager and reverse proxy with the repository's start command; Ample provides HTTPS and supervision.

4. Source step 3
   Inventory what else runs on the droplet: databases, cron, local uploads.

5. Deploy on Ample in parallel
   composer install --no-dev from composer.lock, then FrankenPHP serving public/ (php-server with the index.php fallback) reading PORT on the php-8.5 template. Pass the exported variables with --env; keep the source running.
   Command: ample deploy . --name --public --env-file .env.production

6. Validate before cutover
   Run the app's own checks and, for data, compare counts and checksums; the example checks are the pattern self-tests (/p/configuration-secrets, /p/relational-records).

7. Cut over
   Add the custom domain with ample domain add, update DNS from the droplet IP, keep the droplet until verified, then power it off.

8. Rollback
   Point DNS or configuration back to the source. The source was never modified; deletion is a separate, user-executed step after validation.

Examples

Laravel pattern fixture (destination)

• Description: Verified destination basis: Laravel compute.
• Source Ref: tests/deploy-canaries/laravel-patterns

Success Checks

• Destination app responds on its public URL
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /
  Expect: ample canary laravel patterns

• Configuration-secrets check from the destination example
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /p/configuration-secrets
  Expect: see the pattern fixture checks

• Relational-records check from the destination example
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /p/relational-records
  Expect: see the pattern fixture checks

• Data or object counts and checksums match the source
  Kind: manual
  Expect: operator comparison before cutover

Limitations

• Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.
• The source-side procedure is documented from DigitalOcean Droplet app's standard tooling and was not executed in this catalog's evidence; the destination side was verified with the pattern fixture.
• No full source-product parity is claimed: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Components:
  • Name: app server
    • Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
    • Quantity: 1.0
    • Monthly Amount: 5.0
  • Name: managed PostgreSQL database
    • Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
    • Quantity: 1.0
    • Monthly Amount: 5.0
• Note: Destination always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps auto-pause when idle.

Evidence Summary

• Kind: canary_run
  Summary: Destination side verified: the Laravel pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed (the app built, started and answered on its public HTTPS URL with encrypted configuration delivered).
  Observed At: 2026-09-20T20:36:21Z