Host documentation site with Flask: Postgres-backed content

Summary

Deploy a documentation 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 documentation site-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host documentation site with Flask: Postgres-backed content
• Where can I host Documentation site built with Flask?
• I need a content schema, publishing workflow and cache behavior after content updates.

Resource Requirements

• Compute
• Postgres
• CDN

Infrastructure Requirements

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. CDN

   • Status: verified
   • Summary: 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.
   • Command: 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.
   • Command: ample logs --kind build

Examples

• Title: Flask pattern fixture
  Description: Multi-pattern Flask app whose relational records module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules. Source Ref: tests/deploy-canaries/flask-patterns

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 documentation 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Authoritative: true
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
• Components:
  • App server: quantity 1.0, size: s-1vcpu-1gb, monthlyAmount: 5.0
  • Managed PostgreSQL database: quantity 1.0, size: s-1vcpu-1gb, monthlyAmount: 5.0
• Note: Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle.

Next Actions

• Browse the catalog index
  Action ID: browse-catalog
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints
  Action ID: search-recipes
• Browse Documentation site
  Action ID: browse:workload:documentation-site
• Browse Flask
  Action ID: browse:stack:framework-flask
• Browse Relational records
  Action ID: browse:pattern:relational-records
• Browse Deploy web app
  Action ID: browse:intent:deploy-web-app