Migrate API backend to SQLite, add MCP layer, and Docker Compose deployment

.env.example

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+OAC_BACKEND=sqlite
+OAC_DB_PATH=/data/oacapi.db
+API_PORT=5000
+API_WORKERS=1
+API_THREADS=2
+AC_PATH=./astrocats
+INGEST_AC_PATH=/root/astrocats/astrocats

.travis.yml

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ before_install:
 install:
   - conda update setuptools
   - conda config --add channels conda-forge
-  - conda install --yes astrocats astropy flask numpy six
+  - conda install --yes astropy flask numpy six
   - pip install flask_compress flask_restful
 
 script:

Dockerfile.api

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 \
+    PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    build-essential \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+COPY requirements.txt /app/requirements.txt
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r /app/requirements.txt
+
+COPY . /app
+
+EXPOSE 5000
+
+CMD ["gunicorn", "--bind", "0.0.0.0:5000", "--workers", "1", "--threads", "2", "wsgi:app"]

Dockerfile.ingest

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
+ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    build-essential \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+COPY requirements.txt /app/requirements.txt
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r /app/requirements.txt
+
+COPY . /app
+
+CMD ["python", "scripts/ingest_static_catalogs.py"]

Dockerfile.mcp

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
+ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+
+COPY requirements.txt /app/requirements.txt
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r /app/requirements.txt
+
+COPY . /app
+
+CMD ["python", "mcp_server.py"]

README.md

@@ -136,3 +136,47 @@ https://api.astrocats.space/catalog/photometry/time+band+magnitude?ra=21:23:32.1
 #### Return the instruments used to produce spectra within a 5° of a given coordinate, in CSV format
 
 https://api.astrocats.space/catalog/spectra/instrument?ra=21:23:32.16&dec=-53:01:36.08&radius=18000&format=csv
+
+## Modern backend and deployment
+
+This project now supports a modern SQLite-backed runtime that preserves the API
+signature and response semantics while reducing memory pressure on constrained
+nodes. The API does not interact with external services.
+
+### Runtime modes
+
+Use environment variables to choose the backend:
+
+- `OAC_BACKEND=sqlite` (default): query a pre-built SQLite snapshot.
+- `OAC_BACKEND=legacy`: load original JSON files directly from astrocatalog
+  repositories.
+
+For SQLite mode:
+
+- `OAC_DB_PATH` points to the sqlite file (default `/data/oacapi.db`).
+- SQLite stores summary/index data plus event file pointers only. Full event JSON
+  is loaded directly from the existing catalog `output/json` files, avoiding a
+  second copy of large event data.
+- Build the sqlite snapshot using:
+
+```bash
+python scripts/ingest_static_catalogs.py --db-path /data/oacapi.db --ac-path /root/astrocats/astrocats
+```
+
+### MCP layer
+
+An MCP server is provided in `mcp_server.py` and exposes:
+
+- `query_api`: executes the same route/query semantics as the HTTP API.
+- `health`: service health probe.
+
+### Docker Compose deployment
+
+Use compose to run API + MCP and optionally ingest:
+
+```bash
+docker compose --profile ingest run --rm ingest
+docker compose up --build -d api mcp
+```
+
+See `docs/deployment-compose.md` for full instructions.