# 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.