Host graphql api with Starlette: worker execution and job state

Summary

Deploy a graphql api built with Starlette as a public web service plus a dedicated worker process on Ample. ample plan --write discovers both services and their shared database and writes ample.toml; ample up reconciles the topology: a managed PostgreSQL 16 database, a public web microVM and a private worker microVM (kind worker, no public URL), both reading DATABASE_URL. Verified on Starlette: a separately deployed worker service (kind worker, no public URL) sharing a declared managed PostgreSQL database with the web service, consuming a jobs table with row locks and marking jobs done once (worker=done attempts=1). Not separately tested: your job payloads, retry policy and scheduling; treat the graphql api-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host graphql api with Starlette: worker execution and job state
• Where can I host GraphQL API built with Starlette?
• I need a separately runnable worker, durable job records and idempotent retries; not a managed queue.

Resource Requirements

• primitive:compute
• primitive:postgres

Infrastructure Requirements

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

Framework

Starlette

Workload

GraphQL API

Release Status

published

Support Status

verified

Execution Status

ready

Prerequisites

• A repository with the web app and the worker as separate service directories (the fixture uses apps/web and apps/worker), each building and starting with the documented commands (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then uvicorn from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template; the worker starts with python3 worker.py and binds no port)
• Both services read DATABASE_URL at runtime and share one jobs table; the worker claims rows with SELECT ... FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED and marks them done once
• An Ample account token with servers:write and databases:write (ample up creates the database)

Workflow Steps

1. Plan the topology
   Run the planner once. It discovers the web and worker services, infers kind = "worker" for the process without a port, declares the database each service needs, and writes ample.toml. Exit 2 means it left questions in the manifest; answer them with --answer or by editing the file.
   Command: ample plan --write .

2. Share one database
   Keep a single [databases.main] with engine = "postgres", drop any per-service database the planner added, and set DATABASE_URL = { database = "main" } under both [services.web.env] and [services.worker.env]. Python services also need an explicit start command in the manifest (the fixture sets start for both services).
   Command: ample plan --offline .

3. Apply
   Reconcile the whole manifest in dependency order: the database first, then both services. It is idempotent and never destructive; exit 0 means everything applied, 2 needs input, 1 a failed resource (independent siblings still proceed and re-running resumes).
   Command: ample up .

4. Verify
   Fetch the web service URL and its worker status route (/p/worker-queue/status in the example) and confirm the worker processed the enqueued job; on failure read the worker service's runtime logs.
   Command: ample logs --kind runtime

Examples

• Starlette web + worker fixture: A Starlette web app (apps/web) and a worker process (apps/worker) sharing one managed PostgreSQL database; the queue module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.

Success Checks

• Web service responds on its public URL
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /
  Expect: ample canary starlette patterns
• Worker consumed the enqueued job
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /p/worker-queue/status
  Expect: worker=done attempts=1 result=processed-by-worker

Limitations

• Verified on the python-3.12 template at s-1vcpu-1gb for both services with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and Starlette major versions are not verified.
• The graphql api itself (your job payloads, retry policy and scheduling) is application code and was not separately tested; the worker-queue check is what was verified.
• The worker is a single long-running process supervised in its own microVM; there is no scheduler, cron or horizontal worker scaling in this recipe, and the check ran immediately after deploy so idle behavior of the worker VM is not verified.
• The worker service is private: it has no public URL and is reached only through the shared database; both services are placed with their database.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified; apps and their databases are placed together.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 15.0
• Authoritative: true
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
• Components:
  • Web server: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthlyAmount: 5.0
  • Worker server: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthlyAmount: 5.0
  • Managed PostgreSQL database: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthlyAmount: 5.0
• Note: Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes for the web service, the worker service and the database; apps auto-pause when idle.

Evidence Summary

• Canary Run: Starlette web service plus a separate Python worker process deployed on Ample with ample plan --write then ample up (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then uvicorn from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); the web service enqueued a job that the private worker service consumed from the shared managed PostgreSQL database.
  Pattern proof: a separately deployed worker service (kind worker, no public URL) sharing a declared managed PostgreSQL database with the web service, consuming a jobs table with row locks and marking jobs done once (worker=done attempts=1).
  Observed At: 2026-09-20T03:56:46Z
  Implementation Revision: 03b6402b1b3e19178985f08ea4033804521d85d4-dirty (CLI b75e104)
  Expires At: 2027-03-19T03:56:46Z
  Scope:
  • Checks: [/,/p/worker-queue/status]
  • Pattern: pattern:dedicated-worker-process
  • Services: [web, worker]
  • Template: python-3.12
  • Tool: ample_up

Last Verified At

2026-09-20T03:56:46Z

Unknowns

• Region availability is unknown until a verified region fact is recorded
• Compliance attestations are unknown; none are claimed.

Formats

• HTML: https://ample.computer/recipes/graphql-api/starlette/worker-state
• Markdown: https://ample.computer/recipes/graphql-api/starlette/worker-state.md
• JSON: https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Arecipes%3Agraphql-api%3Astarlette%3Aworker-state

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