Migrate Vercel app: Express

Move Express compute from Vercel 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.

Source procedure

Copy environment variables from the Vercel project settings (or vercel env pull) into an env file you keep out of the repository. Not migrated automatically: Edge middleware, ISR revalidation, image optimization, cron jobs and Vercel integrations are not migrated and are unverified on Ample.

Cutover

Add the custom domain with ample domain add, set the documented DNS records, keep the Vercel deployment until traffic is verified, then remove the domain from Vercel.

Rollback

Keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

Representative Queries

• Migrate Vercel app: Express
• Where can I host Express built with Express?
• I need a component-scoped export/import or reconfiguration procedure for Express, with compatibility checks, verification and rollback.

Resource Requirements

• Primitive: compute
• Primitive: postgres

Infrastructure Requirements

• Compute
  Status: verified
  Summary: Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.
• Postgres
  Status: verified
  Summary: Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.

Prerequisites

• Authorized access to the Vercel app source and its export tooling
• An inventory of every component in scope and out of scope
• A validated backup or copy before any cutover
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read

Workflow Steps

1. Inventory the source
   List what Vercel app provides beyond the component you are moving.
2. Source step 1
   Copy environment variables from the Vercel project settings (or vercel env pull) into an env file you keep out of the repository.
3. Source step 2
   Note the framework preset, build command and output directory; Ample detects the same from the repository.
4. Source step 3
   List Vercel-only features in use: edge middleware, ISR revalidation, image optimization, cron jobs, integrations.
5. Deploy on Ample in parallel
   npm install, npm run build --if-present, npm run start on the node-22 template. Pass the exported variables with --env; keep the source running.
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, set the documented DNS records, keep the Vercel deployment until traffic is verified, then remove the domain from Vercel.
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

Express pattern fixture (destination)

• Verified destination basis: Express compute.

Success Checks

• Destination app responds on its public URL
• Configuration-secrets check from the destination example
• Relational-records check from the destination example
• Data or object counts and checksums match the source

Limitations

• Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.
• The source-side procedure is documented from Vercel 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: Edge middleware, ISR revalidation, image optimization, cron jobs and Vercel integrations are not migrated and are unverified on Ample.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Authoritative: true
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API)
• Components:
  • App server: size: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthly amount: 5.0
  • Managed PostgreSQL database: size: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthly amount: 5.0

Evidence Summary

• Canary Run: Verified destination side: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed. The source-side export from Vercel app is documented from the vendor's standard tooling and was not executed by this catalog's evidence.