Node.js Application Deployment on AWS EC2

Overview

This README document provides a comprehensive guide for deploying a Node.js application on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 instance. This project demonstrates how to leverage AWS EC2 for hosting a Node.js server, ensuring scalable and reliable application performance.

Prerequisites

• AWS Account
• Basic knowledge of AWS services, especially EC2
• Node.js application ready for deployment

Step-by-Step Deployment Guide

Step 1: Setting Up AWS EC2 Instance

• Description: Creating and configuring an EC2 instance suitable for Node.js deployment.
• Tasks:
  • Log into AWS Management Console.
  • Navigate to the EC2 dashboard and create a new instance.
  • Choose Ubuntu system.
  • Choose an appropriate instance type (e.g., t2.micro for testing purposes).
  • Launch the instance and download the key pair.

Step 2: Create Elastic IP and assign to EC2

• Description: This step involves creating an Elastic IP and associating it with your EC2 instance to ensure that the IP address of your instance remains constant even if it's stopped and restarted.
• Tasks:
  • Navigate to the Elastic IP or choose it in EC2 settings.
  • Choose 'Allocate Elastic IP address'.
  • Make sure you select the same region in which the EC2 instance was created and confirm by clicking 'Allocate'.
  • After redirecting to the list with elastic ip, click on created ip and then select 'Associate Elastic IP address' where you should select the EC2 instance you created earlier and its private address.

Step 3: Configuring Security Groups for Your EC2 Instance

• Description: Security Groups act as a virtual firewall for your EC2 instances, controlling both inbound and outbound traffic. In this step, we will create and configure a Security Group to ensure that your EC2 instance has the appropriate level of security and accessibility.
• Tasks:
  • Navigate to the Elastic IP or choose it in EC2 settings.
  • Navigate to the EC2 instance you created earlier and go to 'Security'.
  • Select the security group that has been added to your instance and add the required rules to it by clicking 'Edit inbound rules'.
  • Add rules in the same way as shown in the screenshot, where the value of 5000 corresponds to the port on which the application is running.

Step 4: Connect To EC2 via SSH

• Description: Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol used to securely log onto remote systems. In this step, you will connect to your AWS EC2 instance using SSH. AWS provides the exact SSH command, including the key pair and public DNS or IP address, in the EC2 console.
• Tasks:
  • Select your instance and click on the 'Connect' button at the top.
  • In the "Connect to instance" section, you will find the SSH command for your instance under "SSH client" tab.
  • The command will typically look like this: ssh -i "your-key-pair.pem" ec2-user@ec2-xx-xxx-xx-xx.compute-1.amazonaws.com. Replace "your-key-pair.pem" with your actual key pair file name.
  • Open a terminal on your local machine.
  • Ensure that your private key file (.pem file) permissions are set correctly with the command: chmod 400 your-key-pair.pem.
  • Use the SSH command you retrieved from the AWS console to connect to your instance.

Step 5: Preparing the Linux Server for Node.js

• Description: Setting up the server environment for Node.js.
• Tasks:
  • Update and upgrade the server: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y.
  • Install NVM and Node.js:

    curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
    export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
    [ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
    nvm install --lts

Step 6: Launching the Node.js Application with PM2

• Description: Starting your Node.js application using PM2.
• Tasks:
  • Navigate to your application directory (e.g., cd backend).
  • Install dependencies: npm i.
  • Install and configure PM2:

    npm install -g pm2
    pm2 start app.js --name=YOUR_APP
    pm2 save
    pm2 startup

Conclusion

This guide covers the essentials of deploying a Node.js application on an AWS EC2 instance. Adjust the steps according to your specific requirements and application setup.