Node.js Web Server with Docker

Node.js App

Prerequisite: have a index.js ready listening on a port ready.

Dockerfile

Dockerfile is just a text file that provides docker engine with instructions on how to build the image.

FROM mhart/alpine-node
COPY index.js .
EXPOSE 8000
CMD node index.js

Building the image

$ docker build -t myserver .

# -t specifies the name of the docker image

Running the container

$ docker run -p 8001:8000 myserver

# Verify the server is running + port forwarding is setup correctly through firewal
$ curl localhost:8001

Nginx Proxy Container

Running Nginx Container

# By default nginx runs on port 80
$ docker run --rm -p 6000:80 nginx

# Verify the server is running + port forwarding is setup correctly through firewal
$ curl localhost:6000

Setting up Nginx as Proxy

The intent is to update nginx configurations to proxy web requests into our node.js app

default.conf

# This file will replace default nginx configuration file.
# We have bare-minimum directives in the file.
# Nginx will use default if a directive is not defined.

server {
    location / {
        proxy_set_header HOST $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_pass http://app:8000;
    }
}

Dockerfile for Nginx image

FROM nginx
copy default.conf /etc/nginx/conf.d/

Building the image

$ docker built -t foo/nginx .

Run the container

$ docker run -p 6000:80 --link node-app:app --name nginx-proxy foo/nginx

Using link may not be the best way now. TBD.

Verify

curl http://localhost:6000

This should direct to node.js server response instead of default nginx index html response

---

Last update: March 8, 2023