Connect Postgres for Symfony

Summary

Database connection for a Symfony app on Ample. Verified on Symfony: a managed PostgreSQL database auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL, with real queries succeeding at request time (records=ok). Build and start: composer install --no-dev from composer.lock with Symfony Runtime's dotenv disabled (extra.runtime.disable_dotenv; .env never ships, its values arrive as encrypted env, and compile-time parameters such as DEFAULT_URI need a default), then FrankenPHP serving public/ (php-server with the index.php fallback) reading PORT on the php-8.5 template with APP_ENV=prod.

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.)

Prerequisites

• A Symfony project (composer install --no-dev from composer.lock with Symfony Runtime's dotenv disabled (extra.runtime.disable_dotenv; .env never ships, its values arrive as encrypted env, and compile-time parameters such as DEFAULT_URI need a default), then FrankenPHP serving public/ (php-server with the index.php fallback) reading PORT on the php-8.5 template with APP_ENV=prod)
• A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read

Exact tested configuration

• template: php-8.5
• runtime: php
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• install: composer install --no-dev --prefer-dist --no-interaction --no-progress --optimize-autoloader
• start: frankenphp php-server --listen :$PORT --root public

Steps

1. Build and start. composer install --no-dev from composer.lock with Symfony Runtime's dotenv disabled (extra.runtime.disable_dotenv; .env never ships, its values arrive as encrypted env, and compile-time parameters such as DEFAULT_URI need a default), then FrankenPHP serving public/ (php-server with the index.php fallback) reading PORT on the php-8.5 template with APP_ENV=prod; the server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.

2. Read DATABASE_URL at runtime. Open connections from the environment inside handlers or a pool; omit DATABASE_URL to auto-provision a managed database or pass --env DATABASE_URL=... for an existing one.

3. Verify. Fetch the live URL and /p/relational-records on the example; on failure read the build and runtime logs.

   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   

Tested examples

• Symfony pattern fixture (tests/deploy-canaries/symfony-patterns): Verified database connection on Symfony.

Success checks

• app responds on its public URL (/ on the live URL, expect ample canary symfony patterns)
• relational-records check from the example (/p/relational-records on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)

Limitations

• Verified on the php-8.5 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other sizes and Symfony major versions are not verified.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified.

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 auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-20T22:23:52Z at revision 64a7bb8e37dd-dirty (CLI 64a7bb8): Symfony pattern fixture deployed on Ample (composer install --no-dev from composer.lock with Symfony Runtime's dotenv disabled (extra.runtime.disable_dotenv; .env never ships, its values arrive as encrypted env, and compile-time parameters such as DEFAULT_URI need a default), then FrankenPHP serving public/ (php-server with the index.php fallback) reading PORT on the php-8.5 template with APP_ENV=prod); for this guide: a managed PostgreSQL database auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL, with real queries succeeding at request time (records=ok). (expires 2027-03-19T22:23:52Z)

Last verified: 2026-09-20T22:23:52Z

Execution binding

MCP tool ample_deploy (registry mcp:ample_deploy), schema hash 876465fce906da0c observed 2026-09-21T03:19:59.461917+00:00 at revision 49962bcade4f, binding state current, required scopes: servers:write, databases:read.