Host approval workflow with Flask: relational workspace data

Deploy a approval workflow built with Flask on Ample using the relational records pattern. Compute runs the app in an isolated microVM behind a public HTTPS URL, a managed PostgreSQL 16 database is auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL. Verified on Flask: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true). Not separately tested: your record schema, states and access rules; treat the approval workflow-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host approval workflow with Flask: relational workspace data
• Where can I host Approval workflow built with Flask?
• I need a workspace-specific schema, state transitions and access rules.

Prerequisites

• A Flask project that builds and starts with the documented commands (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template)
• A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime (auto-provisioned when omitted, or supplied with --env)
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read

Tested Configuration

• Template: python-3.12
• Runtime: python
• Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• Install: python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt
• Start: PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 app.py

Input Schema

• name: App name
  • Max length: 63
  • Min length: 1
  • Pattern: ^[a-z0-9-]+$
• path: Project directory or ample.toml service
  • Max length: 512
  • Min length: 1
• start: Start command (Python apps pass one explicitly)
  • Max length: 512

Workflow Steps

1. Build and start
   • pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template. The server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.
2. Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL
   • The fixture's module implements relational records: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true). Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.
3. Deploy
   • Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result (exit 0 live, 1 failed, 2 blocked). Re-running with no change is a no-op.
   • Command: ample deploy . --name --public --start "python3 app.py"
4. Verify
   • Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/relational-records) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read ample logs --kind build then --kind runtime.
   • Command: ample logs --kind build

Success Checks

• App responds on its public URL
  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /
  • Expect: ample canary flask patterns
• Relational-records self-test
  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /p/relational-records
  • Expect: records=ok transitions=true isolation=true

Limitations

• Verified on the python-3.12 template at s-1vcpu-1gb with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and Flask major versions are not verified.
• The approval workflow itself (your record schema, states and access rules) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified; apps and their databases are placed together.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Basis: Size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
• 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)