## The short version

Deploy a help desk built with Rails on Ample using the bulk import staging pattern. Compute runs the app in an isolated microVM behind a public HTTPS URL, a managed PostgreSQL 16 database is auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL, a private S3-compatible bucket holds objects with credentials delivered as encrypted environment variables.

WHAT WAS VERIFIED

Verified on Rails: a CSV staged as an object, row-level validation with per-row errors recorded, and a restart-safe import keyed by import id (imported=2 rejected=1 restart=ok).

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.)
- [S3-compatible object storage](/content/discover/primitive/s3-compatible-object-storage/index.html): verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)

PREREQUISITES

## Before you start

- A Rails project that builds and starts with the documented commands (bundle install into vendor/bundle from Gemfile.lock (development and test groups skipped), then Puma via `rails server` reading PORT on the ruby-3.4 template with RAILS_ENV=production)
- A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime (auto-provisioned when omitted, or supplied with --env)
- A bucket from `ample bucket create` with its credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables
- An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read

STEP BY STEP

## How to do it

1. **Build and start**  
   bundle install into vendor/bundle from Gemfile.lock (development and test groups skipped), then Puma via `rails server` reading PORT on the ruby-3.4 template with RAILS_ENV=production. The server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.

2. **Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL**  
   The fixture's module implements bulk import staging: a CSV staged as an object, row-level validation with per-row errors recorded, and a restart-safe import keyed by import id (imported=2 rejected=1 restart=ok). Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.

3. **Wire object storage**  
   Create the bucket(s), then pass endpoint, region, bucket and keys as --env values. Use path-style addressing. Keep private data in an unpublished bucket.

4. **Deploy**  
   Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result (exit 0 live, 1 failed, 2 blocked). 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=...
   ```

5. **Verify**  
   Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/bulk-import-staging) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read `ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build` then `--kind runtime`.  
   ```
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

EXAMPLES

## Tested examples

- **Rails pattern fixture** (`tests/deploy-canaries/rails-patterns`): Multi-pattern Rails app whose bulk import staging module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.

SUCCESS CHECKS

## How to know it worked

- app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary rails patterns)
- bulk-import-staging self-test (`/p/bulk-import-staging` on the live URL, expect imported=2 rejected=1 restart=ok)

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 2026-09-20T21:55:28Z at revision `4f7cb9813c1f (CLI 4f7cb98)`: Rails pattern fixture deployed on Ample...
- canary_run on 2026-09-20T21:55:28Z at revision `4f7cb9813c1f (CLI 4f7cb98)`: The same Rails app deployed with a --release-command migration...

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, buckets: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)

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

## Identifiers and status

Recipe `page:recipes:help-desk:rails:csv-imports`. Revision r1.

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

Formats: [HTML](/content/recipes/help-desk/rails/csv-imports/index.html) | [Markdown](/content/recipes/help-desk/rails/csv-imports.md) | [JSON contract](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Arecipes%3Ahelp-desk%3Arails%3Acsv-imports)