10 - Deploying Node.js Applications

• nodejs
• by Sn0wAlice

Introduction

Deploying a Node.js application involves setting up a server, configuring dependencies, and ensuring security and performance. This chapter covers deployment strategies for both self-hosted and cloud-based solutions.

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1. Choosing a Deployment Method

• Self-hosted (VPS/ Dedicated Server): DigitalOcean, Linode, Scaleway
• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Heroku, Vercel, Railway
• Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes

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2. Preparing the Application for Deployment

• Use environment variables for secrets (dotenv)
• Minimize package dependencies
• Remove devDependencies in production
• Use process managers (PM2) for stability

Example .env file:

PORT=3000
DB_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/myapp
JWT_SECRET=supersecretkey

Load .env variables in the application:

require("dotenv").config();
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;

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3. Deploying on a VPS (DigitalOcean, Linode, Scaleway)

1. Set up a server (Ubuntu/Debian-based recommended)
2. Install Node.js and npm:

   curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
   sudo apt install -y nodejs
   

3. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo.git
   cd your-repo
   

4. Install dependencies:

   npm install --production
   

5. Run the application using PM2:

   npm install -g pm2
   pm2 start server.js --name myapp
   pm2 save && pm2 startup
   

6. Set up a reverse proxy with Nginx (optional but recommended for security and SSL support).

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4. Deploying on Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

1. AWS EC2 / GCP Compute Engine / Azure VM

   • Follow the VPS steps above.

2. AWS Elastic Beanstalk

   • Install the CLI:

     npm install -g aws-eb-cli
     

   • Initialize and deploy:

     eb init
     eb create my-node-app
     

3. Google Cloud App Engine

   • Create an app.yaml:

     runtime: nodejs18
     env: standard
     

   • Deploy:

     gcloud app deploy
     

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5. Deploying on PaaS (Heroku, Vercel, Railway)

1. Heroku

   heroku create myapp
   git push heroku main
   

2. Vercel (for frontend + APIs)

   vercel
   

3. Railway

   railway init
   railway up
   

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6. Containerizing with Docker

1. Create a Dockerfile

   FROM node:18
   WORKDIR /app
   COPY package.json .
   RUN npm install --production
   COPY . .
   CMD ["node", "server.js"]
   EXPOSE 3000
   

2. Build and run the Docker container

   docker build -t myapp .
   docker run -d -p 3000:3000 myapp
   

3. Push to Docker Hub (optional)

   docker login
   docker tag myapp yourusername/myapp
   docker push yourusername/myapp
   

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Exercises

• Deploy a simple Node.js API on a VPS (DigitalOcean, Linode, or Scaleway).
• Deploy a Node.js application on Heroku and test its availability.
• Use Docker to containerize a Node.js API and run it locally.
• Set up a reverse proxy for your Node.js application using Nginx.
• Implement a CI/CD pipeline for automated deployments using GitHub Actions or GitLab CI.

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Conclusion

This chapter covered deploying Node.js applications on VPS, cloud platforms, PaaS, and Docker. Next, we will explore scaling and monitoring Node.js applications.

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