## Host help desk with Flask: CSV imports

Deploy a help desk built with Flask on Ample using the bulk import staging 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 Flask: a CSV staged as an object, row-level validation with per-row errors recorded, and a restart-safe import keyed by import id (imported=2 rejected=1 restart=ok). Not separately tested: your import format, mapping and conflict rules; treat the help desk-specific behavior as your application code.

### Representative Queries
- Host help desk with Flask: CSV imports
- Where can I host Help desk built with Flask?
- I need a domain CSV format, row validation, deduplication and an import recovery path.

### Resource Requirements
- Compute
- Postgres
- S3-compatible object storage

### Infrastructure Requirements
#### 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.

#### 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.

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

### 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 bulk import staging: a CSV staged as an object, row-level validation with per-row errors recorded, and a restart-safe import keyed by import id (imported=2 rejected=1 restart=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.
5. **Verify**: Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/bulk-import-staging) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read `ample logs  --kind build` then `--kind runtime`.

### 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 help desk itself (your import format, mapping and conflict rules) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.

### Cost Estimate
- **Currency**: USD
- **Monthly Amount**: 10.0
- **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.

### Success Checks
- App responds on its public URL
- Bulk-import-staging self-test

### Next Actions
- **Browse the catalog index**
- **Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints**
- **Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project**