Host campaign site with Flask: Postgres-backed content

Summary

Deploy a campaign site 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, and a published bucket serves public assets from the CDN host. 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 campaign site-specific behavior as your application code.

Resource Requirements

• Compute
• Postgres
• CDN

Infrastructure Requirements

1. Compute
   Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.
2. Postgres
   Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.
3. CDN
   The CDN host serves objects from published buckets. It does not front app compute and is not a cache or key-value store.

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).
• A bucket from ample bucket create with its credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables.
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read.

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. Wire object storage
   Create the bucket(s), then pass endpoint, region, bucket and keys as --env values. Use path-style addressing. Keep private data in an unpublished bucket. Publish only the bucket that serves public assets and reference its CDN URL.

4. 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.

   ample deploy . --name  --public --start "python3 app.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=... --env CDN_PUBLIC_URL=... 
   

5. 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.

   ample logs  --kind build 
   

Examples

Flask pattern fixture

• Multi-pattern Flask app whose relational records module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.

Success Checks

• App responds on its public URL.

  • Path: /
  • Expect: ample canary flask patterns.

• Relational-records self-test

  • 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 campaign site 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

• Monthly Amount: $10.00 (USD)
• Components:
  • App Server: 1 x s-1vcpu-1gb - $5.00
  • Managed PostgreSQL Database: 1 x s-1vcpu-1gb - $5.00
• Note: Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

Evidence Summary

• Canary Run
  • Summary: Flask pattern fixture deployed on Ample (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); checks passed for relational-records and configuration-secrets.
  • Observed At: 2026-09-21T01:14:18Z
  • Implementation Revision: 50dbac567d2c5cc8e55e6c748a646be0025d9cfb-dirty (CLI 0.1.21)

Last Verified

• At: 2026-09-21T01:14:18Z