How to install and deploy node.js application?

Question

I'm new to node.js. After creating modularized project with express, tests, .nvmrc etc. it's finally time to deploy the app. How it should be done? in java you bundle your project into a single file, self containing and you put in into a server with some configuration. what about node.js?

Should i just copy the whole directory with sources and node_modules to production machine and use systemd, pm2 or other process manager to just run it? but i heard some of the dependencies might be system-dependend so they may work incorrectly

or should i copy only sources and run npm install --production on the production machine? but this way the deployment is only possible when npm repositories are online. also it takes time to build the application and it has to be done on all machines in the cluster. also what about quickly rolling back to previous version in case there is some bug? again, time and online npm repos are needed

another option is to build a docker image. but it seems awkward that the only way to easily and safely deploy the app is using third party technology

how it's being done in real life scenarios?

Answer 1

sure don't copy the whole directory especially node_modules.

all the packages installed on your system should be installed with --save option example: npm install --save express if you do so you will have in your package.json the dependencies required for your project whether they are dev dependencies or production dependencies.

I don't know what your project structure looks like, but as a node application you have to run npm init . in your project to setup the package.json file and then you can start adding your dependencies with --save .

usually we use git

version control system

to deploy to the server, first we push our code to a git repository then we pull from it to the server git

you have to add .gitignore in your project and ignore node_modules from being committed to your git repository.

then you can pull to your server and run npm install on the server. and sure you need to launch your web server to serve your application example ngnix

you can try Heroku for an easy deployment, all you have to do is to setup your project with Heroku, and when you push your code, Heroku manages the deployment . Heroku