# Course creators: asset library using Next.js

## Summary

A asset library blueprint for course creators built with Next.js on Ample. Domain schema:  
**course_groups** (name, start_at, end_at, capacity): cohorts as course groups;  
**memberships** (course_group_id, member_email, role, joined_at): learner and instructor membership;  
**sessions** (course_group_id, starts_at, title, recording_object_key): session events and recordings;  
**materials** (course_group_id, title, object_key, visibility): teaching materials;  
**uploads** (id, owner_reference, object_key, content_type, size, uploaded_at): validated uploads linked to their owner.  Public information: course catalog and syllabus, instructor profile, schedule.  Kept out of scope until handling is reviewed: learner progress and grades, recordings showing learners, payment status.  Recordings and progress data are personal data; materials are authorized per course group.  Technical basis verified on Next.js: content-type and size validation that rejects disallowed files, an object written to a private bucket and a row linking the record to the object key (reject=ok upload=ok linked=ok).

## Infrastructure requirements

- **Compute**: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)  
- **Postgres**: verified (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**: verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)

## Prerequisites

- A Next.js project (next build then next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p $PORT on the node-22 template)  
- A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL (auto-provisioned when omitted)  
- Bucket credentials from `ample bucket create` passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables  
- A review of which course creators data classes may be handled at all; this blueprint models public information only

## Exact tested configuration

- **template**: `node-22`  
- **runtime**: `node`  
- **size**: `s-1vcpu-1gb`  
- **install**: `npm install`  
- **build**: `npm run build --if-present`  
- **start**: `npm run start`

## Steps

1. **Model the course creators domain.** Create the tables course_groups, memberships, sessions, materials, uploads. Cohorts as course groups lives in course_groups; keep the sensitive classes (learner progress and grades, recordings showing learners, payment status) out of this schema.  
2. **Workflow step 1.** Model assets linked to their owning group or workspace  
3. **Workflow step 2.** Validate uploads and store them in the private bucket; link each object to its row  
4. **Workflow step 3.** Authorize downloads by membership  
5. **Workflow step 4.** Deploy and verify rejection of disallowed files and a linked upload  
6. **Deploy.** Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result. Re-running with no change is a no-op.
   
   ```  
   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
   ```  
7. **Verify.** Run the pattern self-test(s) from the example (/p/browser-file-uploads) and your own acceptance checks for the course creators workflow.
   
   ```  
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## Tested examples

- **Next.js pattern fixture** (tests/deploy-canaries/next-js-patterns): Verified browser file uploads basis for this blueprint.

## Success checks

- App responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary next js patterns)  
- Browser-file-uploads self-test from the example (`/p/browser-file-uploads` on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)

## Limitations

- The technical basis (browser file uploads on Next.js) was verified with the pattern fixture; the course creators schema and workflow are an original design for this blueprint and were not executed as a separate application.  
- No health, financial, privacy or other compliance claim is made. Recordings and progress data are personal data; materials are authorized per course group.  
- Public content and synthetic examples only until actual data-handling requirements have been reviewed.  
- Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; region, request-duration limits and other sizes are unknown or unverified.  
- Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified.  
- PutObject and GetObject with path-style addressing are verified; other S3 operations and CDN cache rules are not.

## Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).  
- App server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD  
- Managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

## Verification evidence

- Canary run on 2026-09-21T02:34:39Z at revision `1d28ae0-dirty (CLI 0.1.21)`: Next.js pattern fixture deployed on Ample (next build then next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p $PORT on the node-22 template); the browser file uploads checks passed: content-type and size validation that rejects disallowed files, an object written to a private bucket and a row linking the record to the object key (reject=ok upload=ok linked=ok). The blueprint's Course creators schema and workflow below build on that verified basis and were not separately executed. (expires 2027-03-20T02:34:39Z)

Last verified: 2026-09-21T02:34:39Z