Deployment Platform Specialist
Comprehensive deployment platform guide covering Vercel (edge-first), Railway (container-first), and Convex (real-time backend).
Quick Platform Selection
When to Use Each Platform
Vercel - Edge-First Deployment:
- Next.js applications with SSR/SSG
- Global CDN distribution required
- Sub-50ms edge latency critical
- Preview deployments for team collaboration
- Managed storage needs (KV, Blob, Postgres)
Railway - Container-First Deployment:
- Full-stack containerized applications
- Custom runtime environments
- Multi-service architectures
- Persistent volume storage
- WebSocket/gRPC long-lived connections
Convex - Real-Time Backend:
- Collaborative real-time applications
- Reactive data synchronization
- TypeScript-first backend needs
- Optimistic UI updates
- Document-oriented data models
Decision Guide
By Application Type
Web Applications (Frontend + API):
- Next.js → Vercel (optimal integration)
- React/Vue with custom API → Railway (flexible)
- Real-time collaborative → Convex + Vercel
Mobile Backends:
- REST/GraphQL → Railway (stable connections)
- Real-time sync → Convex (reactive queries)
- Edge API → Vercel (global latency)
Full-Stack Monoliths:
- Containerized → Railway (Docker support)
- Serverless → Vercel (Next.js API routes)
- Real-time → Convex (built-in reactivity)
By Infrastructure Needs
Compute Requirements:
- Edge compute → Vercel (30+ edge locations)
- Custom runtimes → Railway (Docker flexibility)
- Serverless TypeScript → Convex (managed runtime)
Storage Requirements:
- Redis/KV → Vercel KV or Railway
- PostgreSQL → Vercel Postgres or Railway
- File storage → Vercel Blob or Railway volumes
- Document DB → Convex (built-in)
Networking Requirements:
- CDN distribution → Vercel (built-in)
- Private networking → Railway (service mesh)
- Real-time WebSocket → Convex (built-in) or Railway
Common Deployment Patterns
Pattern 1: Next.js with Database
Stack: Vercel + Vercel Postgres/KV
Setup:
- Deploy Next.js app to Vercel
- Provision Vercel Postgres for database
- Use Vercel KV for session/cache
- Configure environment variables
- Enable ISR for dynamic content
Best For: Web apps with standard database needs, e-commerce, content sites
Pattern 2: Containerized Multi-Service
Stack: Railway + Docker
Setup:
- Create multi-stage Dockerfile
- Configure railway.toml for services
- Set up private networking
- Configure persistent volumes
- Enable auto-scaling
Best For: Microservices, complex backends, custom tech stacks
Pattern 3: Real-Time Collaborative App
Stack: Convex + Vercel/Railway (frontend)
Setup:
- Initialize Convex backend
- Define schema and server functions
- Deploy frontend to Vercel/Railway
- Configure Convex provider
- Implement optimistic updates
Best For: Collaborative tools, live dashboards, chat applications
Pattern 4: Hybrid Edge + Container
Stack: Vercel (frontend/edge) + Railway (backend services)
Setup:
- Deploy Next.js frontend to Vercel
- Deploy backend services to Railway
- Configure CORS and API endpoints
- Set up edge middleware for routing
- Use private networking for Railway
Best For: High-performance apps, global distribution with complex backends
Pattern 5: Serverless Full-Stack
Stack: Vercel (frontend + API routes) + Convex (backend)
Setup:
- Build Next.js app with API routes
- Initialize Convex for data layer
- Configure authentication (Clerk/Auth0)
- Deploy frontend to Vercel
- Connect Convex client
Best For: Rapid prototyping, startups, real-time web apps
Essential Configuration
Vercel Quick Start
vercel.json:
{
"$schema": "https://openapi.vercel.sh/vercel.json",
"framework": "nextjs",
"regions": ["iad1", "sfo1", "fra1"],
"functions": {
"app/api/**/*.ts": {
"memory": 1024,
"maxDuration": 10
}
}
}
Edge Function:
export const runtime = "edge"
export const preferredRegion = ["iad1", "sfo1"]
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const country = request.geo?.country || "Unknown"
return Response.json({ country })
}
Railway Quick Start
railway.toml:
[build]
builder = "DOCKERFILE"
dockerfilePath = "Dockerfile"
[deploy]
healthcheckPath = "/health"
healthcheckTimeout = 100
restartPolicyType = "ON_FAILURE"
numReplicas = 2
[deploy.resources]
memory = "2GB"
cpu = "2.0"
Multi-Stage Dockerfile:
# Builder stage
FROM node:20-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
# Runner stage
FROM node:20-alpine
WORKDIR /app
ENV NODE_ENV=production
RUN addgroup -g 1001 -S nodejs && adduser -S appuser -u 1001
COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./dist
USER appuser
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "dist/main.js"]
Convex Quick Start
convex/schema.ts:
import { defineSchema, defineTable } from "convex/server"
import { v } from "convex/values"
export default defineSchema({
messages: defineTable({
text: v.string(),
userId: v.id("users"),
timestamp: v.number(),
})
.index("by_timestamp", ["timestamp"])
.searchIndex("search_text", {
searchField: "text",
filterFields: ["userId"],
}),
})
React Integration:
import { useQuery, useMutation } from "convex/react"
import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api"
export function Messages() {
const messages = useQuery(api.messages.list)
const sendMessage = useMutation(api.messages.send)
if (!messages) return <div>Loading...</div>
return (
<div>
{messages.map((msg) => (
<div key={msg._id}>{msg.text}</div>
))}
</div>
)
}
CI/CD Integration
GitHub Actions - Vercel
name: Deploy to Vercel
on:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- uses: amondnet/vercel-action@v25
with:
vercel-token: ${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}
vercel-org-id: ${{ secrets.ORG_ID }}
vercel-project-id: ${{ secrets.PROJECT_ID }}
GitHub Actions - Railway
name: Deploy to Railway
on:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- run: npm install -g @railway/cli
- run: railway up --detach
env:
RAILWAY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.RAILWAY_TOKEN }}
GitHub Actions - Convex
name: Deploy to Convex
on:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- uses: actions/setup-node@v3
- run: npm ci
- run: npx convex deploy
env:
CONVEX_DEPLOY_KEY: ${{ secrets.CONVEX_DEPLOY_KEY }}
Advanced Patterns
Blue-Green Deployment (Vercel)
Deploy new version, test on preview URL, then switch production alias using Vercel SDK for zero-downtime releases.
Multi-Region (Railway)
Configure deployment regions in railway.toml:
[deploy.regions]
name = "us-west"
replicas = 2
[[deploy.regions]]
name = "eu-central"
replicas = 1
Optimistic Updates (Convex)
const sendMessage = useMutation(api.messages.send)
const handleSend = (text: string) => {
sendMessage({ text })
.then(() => console.log("Sent"))
.catch(() => console.log("Failed, rolled back"))
}
Platform-Specific Details
For detailed platform-specific patterns, configuration options, and advanced use cases, see:
- reference/vercel.md - Edge Functions, ISR, Analytics, Storage
- reference/railway.md - Docker, Multi-Service, Volumes, Scaling
- reference/convex.md - Reactive Queries, Server Functions, File Storage
- reference/comparison.md - Feature Matrix, Pricing, Migration Guides
Works Well With
- moai-domain-backend for backend architecture patterns
- moai-domain-frontend for frontend integration
- moai-lang-typescript for TypeScript best practices
- moai-lang-python for Python deployment (Railway)
- moai-platform-auth for authentication integration
- moai-platform-database for database patterns
Status: Production Ready
Version: 2.0.0
Updated: 2026-02-09
Platforms: Vercel, Railway, Convex
