Deploying Node.js Applications with NGINX and PM2 on EC2

Introduction to EC2 Deployment

Deploying Node.js applications on AWS EC2 with NGINX and PM2 creates a production-ready environment that's both scalable and reliable. This guide covers:

• Setting up NGINX as a reverse proxy
• Managing Node processes with PM2
• Securing your domain with free SSL certificates
• Automating service startup

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• An AWS account with EC2 access
• A launched EC2 instance (Ubuntu recommended)
• Node.js installed on your instance
• A registered domain name (optional but recommended)

Step 1: NGINX Installation and Setup

Installing NGINX

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl start nginx

Basic Configuration

Verify NGINX is running:

sudo systemctl status nginx

You should now be able to access your server's public IP in a browser and see the NGINX welcome page.

Step 2: Configuring NGINX as Reverse Proxy

Edit the default configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Replace the server block content with:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
 
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Test and restart NGINX:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 3: PM2 Application Management

Installing and Running Your App

npm install -g pm2
cd /path/to/your/app
pm2 start app.js

Common PM2 Commands

Setting Up Startup Script

pm2 startup
pm2 save

This ensures your Node application restarts automatically if the server reboots.

Step 4: Securing with SSL (Certbot)

Installation

sudo snap install core
sudo snap refresh core
sudo snap install --classic certbot
sudo ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot

Obtaining Certificate

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Certbot will automatically:

• Obtain a certificate from Let's Encrypt
• Configure NGINX to use HTTPS
• Set up automatic certificate renewal

Automatic Renewal Verification

Test the renewal process:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Final Checklist

✅ NGINX installed and running
✅ Reverse proxy properly configured
✅ Node application running under PM2
✅ PM2 startup configured
✅ SSL certificate installed
✅ Automatic renewal working

Troubleshooting Tips

• 502 Bad Gateway: Check if your Node app is running on the correct port
• SSL Not Working: Verify DNS records point to your EC2 instance
• PM2 Not Persisting: Ensure you ran both pm2 startup and pm2 save

Conclusion

You've now set up a production-grade Node.js environment on EC2 with:

• NGINX handling HTTP/HTTPS traffic
• PM2 ensuring application availability
• Free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt

For further optimization, consider:

• Setting up a CI/CD pipeline
• Configuring load balancing
• Implementing monitoring

🚀 Happy Deployment! 🚀