How to Point Domain and Host Node Express Project on Apache Web Server VPS Hosting

What is PM2?
PM2 is a powerful, widely-used, and feature-rich production-ready process manager for Node.js. It ensures that your Node.js applications are continuously running, even after server reboots. One of PM2’s crucial features is its ability to generate a startup script, ensuring that PM2 and your processes restart automatically every time your server restarts.

Steps:

1. Login to Your Domain Provider Website:

• Go to your domain provider’s website and log in to your account.

1. Navigate to Manage DNS:

• Look for the option to manage your DNS settings. This is usually found in the domain management section.

1. Add Following Records:

• Type: A, Host/Name: @, Value: Your Remote Server IP
• Type: A, Host/Name: www, Value: Your Remote Server IP
• Type: AAAA, Host/Name: @, Value: Your Remote Server IPv6
• Type: AAAA, Host/Name: www, Value: Your Remote Server IPv6

1. On Local Windows Machine:

• Compress Your Project Folder into a Zip File.
• Open Command Prompt.

1. Copy Zip File from Local Windows Machine to Linux Remote Server:

• Query:

scp -P Port_number Source_File_Path Destination_Path

• Example:

scp -P 22 miniblog.zip raj@216.32.44.12:

1. Get Access to Remote Server via SSH:

• Query:

ssh -p PORT USERNAME@HOSTIP

• Example:

ssh -p 22 raj@216.32.44.12

1. Verify that all required software is installed:

• Query:

apache2 -v node -v npm -v pm2 --version mongod --version

1. Install Apache:

• Query:

sudo apt install apache2

1. Install Node and npm:

• Query:

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

1. Install PM2:
   • Query:

sudo npm install -g pm2@latest

1. Add PM2 Process on Startup:
   • Query:

sudo pm2 startup

1. Install MongoDB 6.0.3 on Ubuntu 22.04:
   • Follow this guide: InstallConfigMongoDB.md
2. Verify Apache2 is Active and Running:
   • Query:

sudo service apache2 status

1. Verify Web Server Ports are Open and Allowed through Firewall:
   • Query:

sudo ufw status verbose

1. Run ls command to verify that the zip file is present:
   • Query:

ls

1. Unzip the Copied Zip File:
   • Query:

unzip zip_file_name

1. • Example:

unzip miniblog.zip

1. Move Project Folder from User Home to Web Server Public Directory:
   • Query:

sudo mv project_folder_name Destination_Path

1. • Example:

sudo mv miniblog /var/www

1. Go to Your Project Folder:
   • Query:

cd /var/www/project_folder_name

1. • Example:

cd /var/www/miniblog

1. Install Dependencies:
   • Query:

npm install

1. Install Node JS MongoDB Driver (If needed):
   • Query:

npm install mongodb

1. Create Virtual Host File:
   • Query:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/your_domain.conf

1. Add Following Code in Virtual Host File:
   • Example Code:

<VirtualHost *:80> ServerName www.example.com ServerAdmin contact@example.com ProxyPreserveHost On ProxyPass / http://127.0.0.1:8000/ ProxyPassReverse / http://127.0.0.1:8000/ <Directory "/var/www/miniblog"> AllowOverride All </Directory> </VirtualHost>

1. Check Configuration is correct or not:
   • Query:

sudo apache2ctl configtest

1. Enable the Proxy module with Apache:
   • Query:

sudo a2enmod proxy sudo a2enmod proxy_http

1. Enable Virtual Host:
   • Query:

cd /etc/apache2/sites-available/ sudo a2ensite your_domain.conf

1. Restart Apache2:
   • Query:

sudo service apache2 restart

1. Start Node Express Application using pm2:
   • Query:

cd /var/www/miniblog sudo NODE_ENV=production pm2 start app.js --update-env

1. Save PM2 Process:
   • Query:

sudo pm2 save

1. Check PM2 Status:
   • Query:

sudo pm2 status

1. Connect to MongoDB shell with Super User:
   • Query:

mongosh --port 27017 --authenticationDatabase "database_name_where_user_stored" -u "username" -p "password"

1. Show database:
   • Query:

show dbs

1. Create New Database:
   • Query:

use database_name

1. Create New User:
   • Query:

db.createUser({user:"username", pwd:passwordPrompt(), roles:[{role:"readWrite", db:"database_name"}]})

34. Verify Users:
    • Query:

show users

34. Exit Mongo Shell:
    • Query:

quit()

34. Restart MongoDB:
    • Query:

sudo service mongod restart

34. Open .env:
    • Query:

cd /var/www/miniblog sudo nano .env

34. Make below changes:
    • Example Changes:

HOST = 127.0.0.1 PORT = 8000 DATABASE_URL = "mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017" DBNAME = "Your_Database_Name" DBUSERNAME = "Your_Database_Username" DBPASSWORD = "Your_Database_Password" DBAUTHSOURCE = "database_name_where_user_stored"

34. Restart Apache2:
    • Query:

sudo service apache2 restart

34. Start Node Express Application using pm2:
    • Query:

cd /var/www/miniblog sudo NODE_ENV=production pm2 start app.js --update-env

34. Save PM2 Process:
    • Query:

sudo pm2 save

34. Check error logs If you get any error:
    • Query:

cd /var/log su cd apache2 cat error.log

34. Clear Error Logs (Optional):
    • Query:

sudo bash -c 'echo > /var/log/apache2/error.log'

Extra PM2 Information:

• Add PM2 Process on Startup:
• Query:

sudo pm2 startup

• List All PM2 Process:
• Query:

sudo pm2 list

• Kill PM2 Process:
• Query:

sudo pm2 kill

• Delete App from PM2 Process:
• Query:

sudo pm2 delete app_name

• Save PM2 Process:
• Query:

sudo pm2 save

• Save PM2 Process with –force flag:
• Query:

sudo pm2 save --force

• Restore Last Saved PM2 Process:
• Query:

sudo pm2 resurrect

• Clear PM2 Dump File:
• Query:

sudo pm2 cleardump

• Remove PM2 Process from Startup:
• Query:

sudo pm2 unstartup