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

• install: python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt
• runtime: python
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• start: PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 run.py
• template: python-3.12

STEP BY STEP

How to do it

1. 1

Write an idempotent migration

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

2. 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 --start "python3 run.py" --release-command "python3 manage.py migrate"

3. 3

Verify the marker through the app

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

4. 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

• Django release-command canary (tests/deploy-canaries/django-postgres): python3 manage.py migrate 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): Django 5 project with dj-database-url and psycopg: the managed PostgreSQL database was auto-provisioned, python3 manage.py migrate ran as the release command, and /db and /migrated reported postgres=ok and the migrated 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 Django (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-django 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.