Dockerize a Node.js Application and Deploy it to AWS ECS using AWS ECR with a Load Balancer

dockerize-a-node-js-application
Updated On 3 min read

In this blog post, I’ll walk through the steps to Dockerize a Node.js application and deploy it to Amazon ECS using Amazon ECR. You can find the complete sample Node.js application and deployment scripts in this GitHub repository:

GitHub Repository: node-docker-aws-deployment

Prerequisites

  • AWS Account: Make sure you have an AWS account.
  • AWS CLI: Installed and configured with your AWS credentials.
  • Docker: Installed and running on your local machine.
  • Node.js : Installed on your local machine.

Step 1: Dockerize the Node.js Application

1. Clone the repository:

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git clone https://github.com/thomas-tony/node-docker-aws-deployment.git
cd node-docker-aws-deployment

2. Build the Docker image:

Build the Docker image using the Dockerfile. Run the following command in the directory containing the Dockerfile:

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docker build -t my-node-app .

This command builds the Docker image and tags it as my-node-app.

3 .Run the Docker container locally:

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docker run -d -p 80:8000 --name my-node-app-container my-node-app

Step 2: Push the Docker Image to AWS ECR

1. Create a repository in AWS ECR:

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aws ecr create-repository --repository-name my-node-app --region us-east-1

2. Authenticate Docker to the ECR registry:

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aws ecr get-login-password --region us-east-1 | docker login --username AWS --password-stdin <aws_account_id>.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com

3. Tag the Docker image:

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docker tag my-node-app:latest <aws_account_id>.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/my-node-app:latest

4. Push the Docker image to ECR:

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docker push <aws_account_id>.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/my-node-app:latest

Step 4: Deploy the Docker Image to AWS ECS with a Load Balancer

1. Create an ECS Cluster:

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aws ecs create-cluster --cluster-name my-cluster

2. Create an Application Load Balancer:

  • Create a target group:
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aws elbv2 create-target-group --name my-target-group --protocol HTTP --port 8080 --vpc-id <vpc-id> --target-type ip
  • Create the load balancer:
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aws elbv2 create-load-balancer --name my-load-balancer --subnets <subnet-1-id> <subnet-2-id> --security-groups <security-group-id>
  • Create a listener:
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aws elbv2 create-listener --load-balancer-arn <load-balancer-arn> --protocol HTTP --port 80 --default-actions Type=forward,TargetGroupArn=<target-group-arn>

3. Create a Task Definition:

Save the following JSON to a file named task-definition.json:

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{
  "family": "my-node-app-task",
  "networkMode": "awsvpc",
  "containerDefinitions": [
    {
      "name": "my-node-app",
      "image": "<aws_account_id>.dkr.ecr.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/my-node-app:latest",
      "essential": true,
      "memory": 512,
      "cpu": 256,
      "portMappings": [
        {
          "containerPort": 8000,
          "hostPort": 80,
          "protocol": "tcp"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "requiresCompatibilities": ["FARGATE"],
  "cpu": "256",
  "memory": "512"
}

Register the task definition:

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aws ecs register-task-definition --cli-input-json file://task-definition.json

4. Create a Service with a Load Balancer:

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aws ecs create-service --cluster my-cluster --service-name my-node-app-service --task-definition my-node-app-task --desired-count 1 --launch-type FARGATE --network-configuration "awsvpcConfiguration={subnets=[subnet-0123456789abcdef0],securityGroups=[sg-0123456789abcdef0],assignPublicIp=ENABLED}" --load-balancers "targetGroupArn=<target-group-arn>,containerName=my-node-app,containerPort=8000"

Conclusion

You’ve successfully created a Docker image for your Node.js application, pushed it to AWS ECR, and deployed it using AWS ECS with a load balancer for public accessibility. This setup allows for scalable, managed container deployments, leveraging AWS’s robust infrastructure. Keep in mind this guide covers a basic deployment. Depending on your requirements, you might need to add additional configurations such as auto-scaling policies and more.

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