le-app/docs/le-app-database-migration/implementation-plan.md

Laser Everything database transition implementation plan

Status: revised pre-implementation plan. Work stops at the Milestone 0 host-runtime approval gate.

Milestone 0 — complete reproducible application environment

1. Accepted architecture record

   • Preserve baseline 4884b5d, dedicated Payload service, PostgreSQL, exact dependency matrix, mixed ID preservation, and committed-migration workflow.
   • Review architecture-proposal.md, environment-parity.md, and host prerequisites.

2. Host runtime gate — requires human approval/provisioning

   • Provision the dedicated le_app_codex account and a rootless Docker context owned only by it.
   • Restrict production environment files currently readable to sol6_vi; verify the development account cannot traverse production paths.
   • Use deterministic CPU BGBye initially; defer optional rootless GPU provisioning.
   • Approve browser-profile-scoped local CA trust for HTTPS testing.
   • Confirm nonproduction storage/capacity locations.
   • Verify forbidden production paths and sockets are inaccessible.
   • Execute every positive and negative preflight in host-runtime-plan.md before application work.

3. Reversible canonical-path consolidation — separately approval-gated

   • Inventory the transitional Git roots, symlinks, credential filenames, rootful disposable containers, and volumes without reading secret values.
   • Create the sole checkout at /srv/le-app-codex/lasereverything.net.db and verify migration/le-app-database commit/remote state.
   • Copy and checksum the scrubbed source into root-owned read-only /srv/le-app-codex/database-source-readonly.
   • Create new nonproduction-only secrets and rootless MariaDB/PostgreSQL resources; do not reuse production credentials.
   • Preserve all old resources through the rollback period. Delete nothing without a later explicit approval.

4. Repository/environment structure

   • Add common Compose core, mode overlays/profiles, environment schemas/examples, proxy configuration, health contracts, and safe defaults.
   • Complete Docker/build-context exclusions for every context.
   • Add one-command wrappers with context/path/project safety checks.
   • Add automated external-SMTP denial and forbidden-mount/context tests; make snapshot startup fail closed.

5. Fixture stack

   • Build exact pinned images under Node 24.18.0.
   • Bring up proxy, frontend, Payload shell, PostgreSQL, Mailpit, deterministic CPU BGBye profile, and fixtures.
   • Prove HTTPS cookies, forwarded headers, uploads, mail capture, health, logs, reset, and teardown.

6. Snapshot/rehearsal stack

   • Mount only authorized scrubbed source and uploads read-only on finite jobs.
   • Add disposable destination media/PostgreSQL and detailed-report exclusions.
   • Add isolated legacy Directus reference profile using a writable clone and local-only credentials.
   • Prove no production SMTP/OAuth/webhook/token configuration or outbound delivery.
   • Keep authoritative source and .migration.env mounted only on finite inventory/import/validation jobs.

7. Milestone 0 acceptance

   • Clean-checkout fixture startup and smoke test require no undocumented steps.
   • Snapshot startup passes mount/secret/egress safety assertions.
   • Same image digests run in fixture and snapshot modes.
   • Rootless user can control only its nonproduction project resources.
   • Production release dry-run proves a clean reviewed commit and immutable digests deploy only from /var/www/lasereverything.net.db.

Milestone 1 — structural inventory and mapping

• Generate structural-only collections, fields, relationships, indexes, policies, permissions, flows, operations, row counts, and application-consumer inventory.
• Commit reviewed field-by-field MariaDB-to-PostgreSQL mapping without record samples.
• Classify all files and Directus metadata; retain unresolved files.
• Record only genuine product decisions.

Milestone 2 — Payload schema and security model

• Implement collections, custom IDs, indexes, relationships, media, users, roles, access functions, hooks, and jobs.
• Prototype with schema push only on disposable development PostgreSQL.
• Replace push with committed deterministic migrations before authoritative rehearsal.
• Implement captured email recovery/verification and shared cookie/session contract.

Milestone 3 — deterministic migration pipeline

• Implement separate reset, schema, import, and validation jobs.
• Import in dependency order with preserved IDs/timestamps/ownership and repaired sequences.
• Preserve password hashes for compatibility research without logging them.
• Copy referenced media and retain/classify all unreferenced files.
• Make imports restartable/idempotent or fail safely with explicit checkpoints.

Milestone 4 — application compatibility and end-to-end behavior

• Move each Directus consumer behind shared Payload/compatibility clients.
• Rebuild Ko-fi, claims, memberships, flows, and backfill behavior.
• Implement API contract comparisons and the full fixture/snapshot test matrix.
• Validate password-hash transitional login and forced rehash strategy.

Milestone 5 — full rehearsals and staging candidate

• Run repeated clean destination rehearsals.
• Verify counts, IDs, relationships, timestamps, ownership, permissions, files, checksums, API behavior, and browser workflows.
• Produce aggregate/non-personal validation summaries and unresolved product decisions.
• Build immutable release images and promote their digests to staging.

Production boundary

Stop for explicit authorization before production deployment, reverse-proxy/DNS changes, production secrets or SMTP use, email to real users, final write freeze/cutover, Directus restart/retirement, production database mutation, or archive destruction.