INFRASTRUCTURE

What it needs

• 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.)

PREREQUISITES

Before you start

• A migration command that reads DATABASE_URL and exits non-zero on failure
• A PostgreSQL database (supplied or managed)
• An Ample account token with servers:write and databases:read

TESTED CONFIGURATION

Exactly what was tested

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

STEP BY STEP

How to do it

1. Write an idempotent migration

Create tables and markers with IF NOT EXISTS or a migration framework so a re-run is safe.

2. Deploy with the release command

Ample runs the command before activation; a non-zero exit fails the release.

ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --release-command "node migrate.cjs"

3. Verify the marker through the app

Serve a route (/migrated) that reads something only the migration creates.

4. Verify

Fetch the live URL and run the success checks below. On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.

ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build

EXAMPLES

Tested examples

• Astro release-command canary (tests/deploy-canaries/astro-postgres-app): node migrate.cjs runs before activation against the auto-provisioned managed database.

SUCCESS CHECKS

How to know it worked

• migration marker is readable (/migrated on the live URL, expect migrated=release-ok)

LIMITATIONS

Know the limits

• Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.
• 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 managed databases are placed together; cross-node shared databases are unsupported.
• The release command runs once per release on the app VM; there is no separate migration runner or rollback of a partially applied migration.

COST

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

Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

EVIDENCE

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-20T01:42:25Z at revision 199ff1dfd52683832ae75d3f98b53a7a4bff7f96-dirty (CLI e3181f5): The same Astro app deployed with --release-command node migrate.cjs; /migrated reported the migration marker. (expires 2027-03-19T01:42:25Z)

EXECUTION

Execution binding

MCP tool ample_deploy (registry mcp:ample_deploy), schema hash 876465fce906da0c observed 2026-09-20T01:55:48.667900+00:00 at revision 199ff1dfd526. Binding state at export: current. Required scopes: servers:write, databases:read.

NEXT ACTIONS

Typed next actions

• Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
• Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Astro (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-astro on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Configure deployment (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Aconfigure-deployment on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Transactional workflows (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Atransactional-workflows on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.