{"catalogRevision":"cat_f13ab9a494120b5e","recipeId":"page:migrate:digitalocean-droplet-app:express","recipeRevision":"r1","canonicalPath":"/migrate/digitalocean-droplet-app/express","label":"Migrate DigitalOcean Droplet app: Express","family":"Migration guide","summary":"Move Express compute from DigitalOcean Droplet app to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: the app built, started and answered on its public HTTPS URL with encrypted configuration delivered. Source procedure: Collect the process environment from the droplet (systemd unit, PM2 or supervisor config) into an env file kept out of the repository. Not migrated automatically: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database. Cutover: Add the custom domain with `ample domain add`, update DNS from the droplet IP, keep the droplet until verified, then power it off. Rollback: keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.","representativeQueries":["Migrate DigitalOcean Droplet app: Express","Where can I host Express built with Express?","I need a component-scoped export/import or reconfiguration procedure for Express, with compatibility checks, verification and rollback."],"breadcrumbIds":["discovery","migration","migration:compute-sources","migration:digitalocean-droplet-app","page:migrate:digitalocean-droplet-app:express"],"breadcrumbs":[{"id":"discovery","label":"Agent hosting discovery","canonicalPath":"/discover/discovery","kind":"root"},{"id":"migration","label":"Migration sources by component","canonicalPath":"/discover/migration","kind":"facet"},{"id":"migration:compute-sources","label":"Compute sources","canonicalPath":"/discover/migration/compute-sources","kind":"group"},{"id":"migration:digitalocean-droplet-app","label":"DigitalOcean Droplet app","canonicalPath":"/discover/migration/digitalocean-droplet-app","kind":"atom"},{"id":"page:migrate:digitalocean-droplet-app:express","label":"Migrate DigitalOcean Droplet app: Express","canonicalPath":"/migrate/digitalocean-droplet-app/express","kind":"recipe"}],"parentIds":["migration:digitalocean-droplet-app","stack:framework-express","intent:migrate-compute"],"parents":[{"id":"migration:digitalocean-droplet-app","label":"DigitalOcean Droplet app","canonicalPath":"/discover/migration/digitalocean-droplet-app","kind":"atom"},{"id":"stack:framework-express","label":"Express","canonicalPath":"/discover/stack/framework-express","kind":"atom"},{"id":"intent:migrate-compute","label":"Migrate compute","canonicalPath":"/discover/intent/migrate-compute","kind":"atom"}],"resourceRequirements":["primitive:compute","primitive:postgres"],"infrastructureRequirements":[{"primitiveId":"primitive:compute","label":"Compute","canonicalPath":"/discover/primitive/compute","status":"verified","summary":"Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes."},{"primitiveId":"primitive:postgres","label":"Postgres","canonicalPath":"/discover/primitive/postgres","status":"verified","summary":"Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied."}],"framework":"Express","workload":"Express","migrationSource":"DigitalOcean Droplet app","releaseStatus":"published","supportStatus":"verified","executionStatus":"unbound","docsOnly":true,"prerequisites":["Authorized access to the DigitalOcean Droplet app source and its export tooling","An inventory of every component in scope and out of scope","A validated backup or copy before any cutover","An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read"],"testedConfiguration":{"template":"node-22","runtime":"node","size":"s-1vcpu-1gb","install":"npm install","build":"npm run build --if-present","start":"npm run start"},"inputSchema":null,"outputSchema":null,"workflowSteps":[{"title":"Inventory the source","body":"List what DigitalOcean Droplet app provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database."},{"title":"Source step 1","body":"Collect the process environment from the droplet (systemd unit, PM2 or supervisor config) into an env file kept out of the repository"},{"title":"Source step 2","body":"Replace the droplet's process manager and reverse proxy with the repository's start command; Ample provides HTTPS and supervision"},{"title":"Source step 3","body":"Inventory what else runs on the droplet: databases, cron, local uploads"},{"title":"Deploy on Ample in parallel","body":"npm install, npm run build --if-present, npm run start on the node-22 template. Pass the exported variables with --env; keep the source running.","command":"ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --env-file .env.production"},{"title":"Validate before cutover","body":"Run the app's own checks and, for data, compare counts and checksums; the example checks are the pattern self-tests (/p/configuration-secrets, /p/relational-records)."},{"title":"Cut over","body":"Add the custom domain with `ample domain add`, update DNS from the droplet IP, keep the droplet until verified, then power it off."},{"title":"Rollback","body":"Point DNS or configuration back to the source. The source was never modified; deletion is a separate, user-executed step after validation."}],"examples":[{"title":"Express pattern fixture (destination)","description":"Verified destination basis: Express compute.","sourceRef":"tests/deploy-canaries/express-patterns"}],"successChecks":[{"description":"destination app responds on its public URL","kind":"http_get","path":"/","expect":"ample canary express patterns"},{"description":"configuration-secrets check from the destination example","kind":"http_get","path":"/p/configuration-secrets","expect":"see the pattern fixture checks"},{"description":"relational-records check from the destination example","kind":"http_get","path":"/p/relational-records","expect":"see the pattern fixture checks"},{"description":"data or object counts and checksums match the source","kind":"manual","expect":"operator comparison before cutover"}],"limitations":["Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.","The source-side procedure is documented from DigitalOcean Droplet app's standard tooling and was not executed in this catalog's evidence; the destination side was verified with the pattern fixture.","No full source-product parity is claimed: Cron jobs, local upload directories and firewall rules are not migrated; move uploads to a bucket and data to a managed database.","Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; region, compliance and request-duration limits are unknown.","Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures on the managed side are not verified beyond the pattern checks."],"costEstimate":{"currency":"USD","monthlyAmount":10.0,"authoritative":true,"basis":"size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 115ee02ebdf5c12b2d74e3064d4a52b3b1102944","components":[{"name":"app server","size":"s-1vcpu-1gb","quantity":1.0,"monthlyAmount":5.0},{"name":"managed PostgreSQL database","size":"s-1vcpu-1gb","quantity":1.0,"monthlyAmount":5.0}],"note":"Destination always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps auto-pause when idle. Source costs are unknown to Ample."},"evidenceSummary":[{"kind":"canary_run","summary":"Destination side verified: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample (npm install, npm run build --if-present, npm run start on the node-22 template) and its checks passed (the app built, started and answered on its public HTTPS URL with encrypted configuration delivered). The source-side export from DigitalOcean Droplet app is documented from the vendor's standard tooling and was not executed by this catalog's evidence.","observedAt":"2026-09-21T02:34:39Z","implementationRevision":"1d28ae0 (CLI 0.1.21)","expiresAt":"2027-03-20T02:34:39Z","scope":{"checks":["/p/configuration-secrets","/p/relational-records"],"destinationOnly":true,"template":"node-22"}}],"lastVerifiedAt":"2026-09-21T02:34:39Z","mcpBinding":null,"unknowns":["region availability is unknown until a verified region fact is recorded","compliance attestations are unknown; none are claimed"],"formats":{"html":"https://ample.computer/migrate/digitalocean-droplet-app/express","markdown":"https://ample.computer/migrate/digitalocean-droplet-app/express.md","json":"https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Amigrate%3Adigitalocean-droplet-app%3Aexpress"},"nextActions":[{"actionId":"browse-catalog","label":"Browse the catalog index","operationId":"catalog_index","method":"GET","relativePath":"/v1/catalog","origin":"api","parameters":{},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"search-recipes","label":"Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints","operationId":"search_recipes","method":"POST","relativePath":"/v1/catalog/search","origin":"api","parameters":{"body":{"limit":5,"query":"Migrate DigitalOcean Droplet app: Express"}},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"plan:page:migrate:digitalocean-droplet-app:express","label":"Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project","operationId":"plan_deployment","method":"POST","relativePath":"/v1/catalog/plan","origin":"api","parameters":{"body":{"inputs":{},"projectId":"<workspace or server id you own>","recipeId":"page:migrate:digitalocean-droplet-app:express","recipeRevision":"r1"}},"requiresAuthentication":true,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"auth-setup","label":"Read the existing agent authentication setup","operationId":"existing_auth_setup","method":"GET","relativePath":"/mcp/setup","origin":"api","parameters":{},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"browse:migration:digitalocean-droplet-app","label":"Browse DigitalOcean Droplet app","operationId":"browse_node","method":"GET","relativePath":"/v1/catalog/nodes/migration%3Adigitalocean-droplet-app","origin":"api","parameters":{"nodeId":"migration:digitalocean-droplet-app"},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"browse:stack:framework-express","label":"Browse Express","operationId":"browse_node","method":"GET","relativePath":"/v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-express","origin":"api","parameters":{"nodeId":"stack:framework-express"},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false},{"actionId":"browse:intent:migrate-compute","label":"Browse Migrate compute","operationId":"browse_node","method":"GET","relativePath":"/v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Amigrate-compute","origin":"api","parameters":{"nodeId":"intent:migrate-compute"},"requiresAuthentication":false,"requiresApproval":false}]}