Node.js App on Linux VM

This repository contains a step-by-step guide for deploying a Node.js application on a Linux Virtual Machine (VM) hosted on Google Cloud, with Nginx as a reverse proxy and SSL configuration using Let's Encrypt. The app is secured with HTTPS and accessible via a custom domain.

Video Tutorial :

Prerequisites

• A Google Cloud account to create a virtual machine (VM).
• A custom domain name (e.g., techtrapture.com) and a subdomain (e.g., myblog.techtrapture.com).
• MongoDB Setup: Ensure that you have active MongoDB Setup.

Steps to Deploy

1. Create a Linux Virtual Machine

• Create a Linux VM on Google Cloud with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (or your preferred distribution).
• Open firewall rules to allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic.

2. Install Node.js

• SSH into the VM and install Node.js using the following commands:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install -y nodejs npm

3. Develop the Application

• Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/vishal-bulbule/Node.js-App-on-Linux.git

• Run the app locally on port 3000 and verify it's working by visiting the VM's IP address.

4. Start App with PM2

• Install PM2 to manage the app's process and ensure it runs continuously:

  sudo npm install -g pm2
  pm2 start app.js

5. Install and Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

• Install Nginx on the VM and configure it to forward requests to your Node.js app running on port 3000.
• Update the Nginx configuration file to include the domain and reverse proxy settings.

6. Set Up SSL for HTTPS

• Install Certbot and the Nginx plugin to automatically obtain an SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt:

  sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
  sudo certbot --nginx -d myblog.techtrapture.com

• Set up automatic SSL certificate renewal using cron jobs.

7. Link Domain to the App

• Update your DNS settings to point the subdomain myblog.techtrapture.com to the VM's external IP address.

8. Access the App Globally

• Once DNS is propagated, you can access your app securely via https://myblog.techtrapture.com.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you will have a secure, production-ready Node.js application deployed on Google Cloud. The app is running on a Linux VM, proxied through Nginx, and secured with SSL. You can now manage and scale your app with ease.

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