## The short version

Schema changes for a Symfony app on Ample.

## WHAT WAS VERIFIED

Verified on Symfony: a --release-command migration ran before activation and its marker was readable by the live app (migrated=release-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

## What it needs

- [Compute](/content/discover/primitive/compute/index.html): verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
- [Postgres](/content/discover/primitive/postgres/index.html): 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 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

## STEP BY STEP

## How to do it

1. 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. 2

### Run migrations as the release command

Ample runs the command before activation and fails the release if it exits non-zero; keep migrations idempotent.
   
   ```
   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --release-command "python3 migrate.py"
   ```

3. 3

### Verify

Fetch the live URL and /p/migrated on the example; on failure read the build and runtime logs.
   
   ```
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## EXAMPLES

## Tested examples

- **Symfony pattern fixture** (`tests/deploy-canaries/symfony-patterns`): Verified schema changes on Symfony.

## SUCCESS CHECKS

## How to know it worked

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

## COST

## Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision ca0b484a7a9957c573a88d3a32dc603c3c10135a).

- app server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD
- managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

Upper-bound monthly price of the tested sizes. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

## EVIDENCE

## Verification evidence

- canary_run on 2026-09-20T22:23:52Z at revision `64a7bb8e37dd (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 --release-command migration ran before activation and its marker was readable by the live app (migrated=release-ok). (expires 2027-03-19T22:23:52Z)

## EXECUTION

## Execution binding

MCP tool `ample_deploy` (registry `mcp:ample_deploy`), schema hash `876465fce906da0c` observed 2026-09-22T00:31:22.774679+00:00 at revision `e6446ceea69b`. Binding state at export: schema_changed. Required scopes: servers:write, databases:read.

## NEXT ACTIONS

## Typed next actions

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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.

## ABOUT THIS RECIPE

## Identifiers and status

Recipe `page:guides:symfony:schema-changes`. Revision r1.

release **published** support **verified** execution **blocked (schema_changed: live tool schema differs from the recorded binding)**

Formats: [HTML](/content/guides/symfony/schema-changes/index.html) | [Markdown](/content/guides/symfony/schema-changes.md) | [JSON contract](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Aguides%3Asymfony%3Aschema-changes)