Host Member Portal with Flask: Private Documents

Deploy a member portal 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 member portal-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host member portal with Flask: private documents
• Where can I host Member portal built with Flask?
• I need a role-to-document access model and negative authorization tests.

Parent Resources

• Member portal
• Flask
• Private document library
• Deploy web app

Resource Requirements

• primitive:compute
• primitive:postgres
• primitive: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.

PostgreSQL

• 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

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 app.py

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.
   • Command: 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.
   • Command: ample logs --kind build

Example

• Title: Flask pattern fixture
  Description: Multi-pattern Flask app whose private document library module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.
  Source Reference: tests/deploy-canaries/flask-patterns

Success Checks

• Check: app responds on its public URL
  • Path: /
  • Expect: ample canary flask patterns
• Check: private-document-library self-test
  • 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 Flask major versions are not verified.
• The member portal itself (your identity integration and role assignments) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API)
• Components:
  • App server: s-1vcpu-1gb - $5.0/month
  • Managed PostgreSQL database: s-1vcpu-1gb - $5.0/month
  • Note: Always-on monthly price; buckets are allocation-priced per quota.

Evidence Summary

1. Kind: canary_run
   Summary: Flask pattern fixture deployed on Ample; checks passed for private-document-library and configuration-secrets.
   Observed At: 2026-09-21T01:14:18Z 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 Expires At: 2027-03-19T01:54:51Z