Host Help Desk with Flask: Private Attachments

Deploy a help desk built with Flask 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 Flask: 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.

Support Status

• Support Status: Verified
• Execution Status: Ready

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.
• 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

1. 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).
2. A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime (auto-provisioned when omitted, or supplied with --env).
3. A bucket from ample bucket create with its credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables.
4. 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 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.
  • 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=...

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.
  • ample logs --kind build

Success Checks

1. App responds on its public URL: http_get / expect ample canary flask patterns
2. Private-document-library self-test: http_get /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 Flask 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.

Cost Estimate

• Monthly Amount: $10.00 (USD)
  • Components:
    • App server (s-1vcpu-1gb): $5.00
    • Managed PostgreSQL database (s-1vcpu-1gb): $5.00
  • 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.