DATABASE_DEPLOYMENT_FIX.md

Hugging Face Spaces Database Deployment Fix

Problem

The Hugging Face deployment was failing due to a binary database file (database/auth.db) being present in the repository. Hugging Face Spaces doesn't allow binary files in the repository without using xet storage.

Solution Implemented

1. Removed Database File from Git Tracking

• Executed: git rm --cached backend/database/auth.db
• This removes the file from git tracking while keeping it locally

2. Updated .gitignore

Added the following patterns to exclude database files:

# Database files
*.db
*.sqlite
*.sqlite3
backend/database/*.db
backend/database/*.sqlite
backend/database/*.sqlite3

3. Created Database Initialization Script

• File: backend/init_database.py
• Automatically creates the database directory and tables on startup
• Safe to run multiple times (uses SQLAlchemy's create_all)

4. Created Server Startup Script

• File: backend/start_server.py
• Initializes the database before starting the FastAPI server
• Provides clear logging of the initialization process

5. Updated Dockerfile

• Changed CMD to use start_server.py instead of direct uvicorn
• Ensures database is ready before the server starts

6. Enhanced FastAPI Main Application

• Updated main.py to ensure database directory exists
• Added database directory creation in the lifespan function

How It Works

1. On Deployment Start:

   • The container starts and runs start_server.py
   • This script first runs init_database.py
   • The database directory and tables are created if they don't exist
   • Then the FastAPI server starts normally

2. Database Location:

   • SQLite database: database/auth.db
   • Automatically created on first run
   • Stored in the container's filesystem (persistent for the container's lifetime)

3. Safety Features:

   • Database initialization is idempotent (safe to run multiple times)
   • Uses SQLAlchemy's create_all() which only creates missing tables
   • The FastAPI app also ensures the database directory exists on startup

Verification Steps

1. Check that database/auth.db is not tracked by git:

   git status  # Should not show database/auth.db
   

2. Verify .gitignore includes database patterns

3. Test locally:

   cd backend
   rm -f database/auth.db  # Remove existing database
   python start_server.py  # Should create database and start server
   

Deployment Notes

• The database will be created automatically when the Space starts
• The database persists as long as the Space container is not restarted
• For production use, consider migrating to a persistent database solution
• The SQLite file is stored in the container's filesystem at /app/database/auth.db

Future Improvements

1. Persistent Storage: Consider using Hugging Face Spaces persistent storage if available
2. Database Migration: Add Alembic migrations for schema changes
3. Backup Strategy: Implement regular database backups
4. Cloud Database: Migrate to PostgreSQL or MySQL for better scalability

Files Modified

• .gitignore - Added database file patterns
• backend/database/config.py - Fixed import path for models
• backend/main.py - Added database directory creation
• backend/Dockerfile - Updated startup command
• backend/init_database.py - New file (database initialization)
• backend/start_server.py - New file (server startup script)