Deployment

The API is normally deployed with the landing website and app from the Simamia repository. The root Compose file builds the Go API image and mounts its SQLite file in the persistent simamia_data volume.

Standalone server with Caddy

Point simamia.online, app.simamia.online, and api.simamia.online to the server, open inbound ports 80/443, then from the Simamia repo root:

cp .env.server.example .env
# Review .env and configure production origins.
docker compose up -d --build
docker compose ps
curl https://api.simamia.online/api/v1/health

Caddy routes the API host to the internal api:8080 service and obtains TLS certificates automatically.

Existing host Nginx VPS

When an existing Nginx service owns ports 80 and 443, use the VPS Compose override. It binds the services to loopback ports 4173 (landing), 4174 (app), and 4175 (API):

docker compose -f compose.yaml -f deploy/compose.vps.yaml up -d --build

Configure the host Nginx and certificates using deploy/nginx-simamia.conf and the instructions in the monorepo deployment guide. Do not bind the standalone Caddy profile on that host.

Update a running deployment

Before an update, take and verify an off-server database backup. Then pull the reviewed release and rebuild:

docker compose up -d --build
docker compose ps
curl https://api.simamia.online/api/v1/health

For an existing Nginx VPS, use the same Compose override used at initial deployment.

Back up SQLite

The repository deployment guide describes a live SQLite .backup command and copying the backup off the VPS. Keep the backup outside the container and test restoration periodically. A Docker volume alone is persistence, not a backup.

Scaling constraint

This service uses local SQLite and a single-connection pool. Run only one API instance for a given database file. Horizontal API scaling requires a shared transactional database and migration plan.