page:recipes:help desk:flask:relational workspace

Host help desk with Flask: relational workspace data

Deploy a help desk built with Flask on Ample using the relational records 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. Verified on Flask: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true). Not separately tested: your record schema, states and access rules; treat the help desk-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host help desk with Flask: relational workspace data
• Where can I host Help desk built with Flask?
• I need a workspace-specific schema, state transitions and access rules.

Resource Requirements

• primitive:compute
• primitive:postgres

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.

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)
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases: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 relational records: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true). Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.
3. 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"
   

4. Verify
   Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/relational-records) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read ample logs --kind build then --kind runtime.

   ample logs  --kind build
   

Success Checks

• app responds on its public URL
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /
  Expect: ample canary flask patterns
• relational-records self-test
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /p/relational-records
  Expect: records=ok transitions=true isolation=true

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 record schema, states and access rules) 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Authoritative: true
• 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.

Examples

• Flask pattern fixture
  Multi-pattern Flask app whose relational records module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules. Source Ref: tests/deploy-canaries/flask-patterns

Evidence Summary

1. Kind: canary_run
   Summary: Flask pattern fixture deployed on Ample (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); checks passed for relational-records and configuration-secrets. Pattern proof: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true).
   Observed At: 2026-09-21T01:14:18Z
   Implementation Revision: 50dbac567d2c5cc8e55e6c748a646be0025d9cfb-dirty (CLI 0.1.21)
   Expires At: 2027-03-20T01:14:18Z
2. Kind: canary_run
   Summary: The same Flask app deployed with a --release-command migration; the marker it created was readable after activation.
   Observed At: 2026-09-20T01:54:51Z
   Implementation Revision: 199ff1dfd52683832ae75d3f98b53a7a4bff7f96-dirty (CLI e3181f5)
   Expires At: 2027-03-19T01:54:51Z

Next Actions

1. Browse the catalog index
   • Operation ID: catalog_index
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog
2. Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints
   • Operation ID: search_recipes
   • Method: POST
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/search
   • Parameters:
     • Body:
       • Limit: 5
       • Query: Host help desk with Flask: relational workspace data
3. Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project
   • Operation ID: plan_deployment
   • Method: POST
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/plan
   • Parameters:
     • Body:
       • Inputs: {}
       • Project ID: ""
       • Recipe ID: page:recipes:help-desk:flask:relational-workspace
       • Recipe Revision: r1
4. Read the existing agent authentication setup
   • Operation ID: existing_auth_setup
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /mcp/setup
5. Browse Help desk
   • Operation ID: browse_node
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/workload%3Ahelp-desk
   • Parameters:
     • Node ID: workload:help-desk
6. Browse Flask
   • Operation ID: browse_node
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-flask
   • Parameters:
     • Node ID: stack:framework-flask
7. Browse Relational records
   • Operation ID: browse_node
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Arelational-records
   • Parameters:
     • Node ID: pattern:relational-records
8. Browse Deploy web app
   • Operation ID: browse_node
   • Method: GET
   • Relative Path: /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Adeploy-web-app
   • Parameters:
     • Node ID: intent:deploy-web-app