Host help desk with FastAPI: private attachments

Deploy a help desk built with FastAPI on Ample using the private document library 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, a private S3-compatible bucket holds objects with credentials delivered as encrypted environment variables. Verified on FastAPI: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401 without identity, 403 for the wrong role) and a private-bucket round-trip for the allowed role (private=ok). Not separately tested: your identity integration and role assignments; treat the help desk-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host help desk with FastAPI: private attachments
• Where can I host Help desk built with FastAPI?
• I need attachment metadata, access checks and a tested private object access path.

Resource Requirements

• primitive:compute
• primitive:postgres
• primitive:s3-compatible-object-storage

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. S3-compatible object storage
   Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.

Prerequisites

• A FastAPI project that builds and starts 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)
• 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

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 run.py

Workflow Steps

1. Build and start

pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then uvicorn from run.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 private document library: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401 without identity, 403 for the wrong role) and a private-bucket round-trip for the allowed role (private=ok). 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.

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 run.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...

5. Verify

Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/private-document-library) 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

1. App responds on its public URL
   • Kind: http_get
   • Path: /
   • Expect: ample canary fastapi patterns
2. Private-document-library self-test
   • Kind: http_get
   • Path: /p/private-document-library
   • Expect: private=ok (with ?role=owner; 401 without, 403 for viewer)

Limitations

• Verified on the python-3.12 template at s-1vcpu-1gb with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and FastAPI major versions are not verified.
• The help desk itself (your identity integration and role assignments) 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.
• PutObject and GetObject with path-style addressing are verified; multipart upload, listing, presigned URLs and lifecycle rules are not verified.

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: 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; apps and databases auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

Next Actions

1. Browse the catalog index
   • Action ID: browse-catalog
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog
2. Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints
   • Action ID: search-recipes
   • Method: POST
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/search
3. Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project
   • Action ID: plan:page:recipes:help-desk:fastapi:private-attachments
   • Method: POST
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/plan
4. Read the existing agent authentication setup
   • Action ID: auth-setup
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /mcp/setup
5. Browse Help desk
   • Action ID: browse:workload:help-desk
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/workload%3Ahelp-desk
6. Browse FastAPI
   • Action ID: browse:stack:framework-fastapi
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-fastapi
7. Browse Private document library
   • Action ID: browse:pattern:private-document-library
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Aprivate-document-library
8. Browse Deploy web app
   • Action ID: browse:intent:deploy-web-app
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Adeploy-web-app