page:recipes:graphql api:asp net core:persistent state

Host graphql api with ASP.NET Core: Postgres-backed state

Deploy a graphql api built with ASP.NET Core on Ample using the durable job state 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 ASP.NET Core: a jobs table with a state and attempts counter, processing inside a row-locked transaction, and a second run that is a no-op (job=done attempts=1 idempotent=true). Not separately tested: your job types, payload schema and retry policy; treat the graphql api-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host graphql api with ASP.NET Core: Postgres-backed state
• Where can I host GraphQL API built with ASP.NET Core?
• I need a durable state schema and retry/recovery semantics implemented by application code.

Resource Requirements

• primitive:compute
• primitive:postgres

Infrastructure Requirements

1. Compute
   Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.

2. Postgres
   Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.

Prerequisites

• A ASP.NET Core project that builds and starts with the documented commands (dotnet publish -c Release -o out in the builder, then dotnet .dll on the dotnet-10 template with ASPNETCORE_URLS bound to PORT)
• 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

Workflow Steps

1. Build and start
   dotnet publish -c Release -o out in the builder, then dotnet .dll on the dotnet-10 template with ASPNETCORE_URLS bound to PORT. The server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.

2. Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL
   The fixture's module implements durable job state: a jobs table with a state and attempts counter, processing inside a row-locked transaction, and a second run that is a no-op (job=done attempts=1 idempotent=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

4. Verify
   Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/durable-job-state) 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 (path: /, expect: ample canary asp net core patterns)
• Durable-job-state self-test (path: /p/durable-job-state, expect: job=done attempts=1 idempotent=true)

Limitations

• Verified on the dotnet-10 template at s-1vcpu-1gb with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and ASP.NET Core major versions are not verified.
• The graphql api itself (your job types, payload schema and retry policy) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.
• 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, monthlyAmount: 5.0)
  • managed PostgreSQL database (size: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthlyAmount: 5.0)
• Note: Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.