# Course creators: member portal using Next.js

## Summary

A member portal 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; document_access (document_id, principal_reference, role, granted_at): who may read which document. 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: 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).

## 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, document_access. 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 groups, memberships and roles
3. **Workflow step 2.** Authorize access to materials by membership and role (401, 403 negative tests)
4. **Workflow step 3.** Store materials in the private bucket and stream them through the app
5. **Workflow step 4.** Deploy and verify the negative tests and an authorized download
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/private-document-library) 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 private document library basis for this blueprint.

## Success checks

- app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary next js patterns)
- private-document-library self-test from the example (`/p/private-document-library` on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)

## Limitations

- The technical basis (private document library 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 private document library checks passed: 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). 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)