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How To Deploy Next.js with PM2 and CircleCI

Prerequisite​

How to Deploy Next.js with PM2

Set up Circle CI Config​

  • Objective: Get a build passing on CircleCI.
  • Go to CircleCI.
  • Log in with GitHub.
  • Authorize CircleCI.
  • Go to Projects.
  • Click Set Up Project on your project.
  • Click on Fast.
  • Click on Set Up Project.
  • Select Node (Advanced).
  • Click Commit and Run.
  • The test should fail.
  • Check out the circleci-project-setup branch locally.
  • Add "test": "exit 0" to the scripts in package.json. This is just to get the tests to pass. Real tests can be added later.
  • Go back to the project in CircleCI. The build should be passing.
  • The config file should like like this:
version: 2.1

orbs:
  node: circleci/node@4.7

jobs:
  build-and-test:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Run tests
          command: npm test

workflows:
  sample:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test

Deploy to EC2 Instance​

  • Objective: Successful build should trigger a deployment.

  • Base64 encode the key.pem.

    cat key.pem | base64 | clip

  • In CircleCI, go to Project Settings.

  • Go to Environment Variables.

  • Click Add Environment Variable.

  • Name the variable KEY_PEM.

  • Paste in the base64 encoded key as the value.

  • Change config.yml to look like this:

version: 2.1

orbs:
  node: circleci/node@4.7

jobs:
  build-and-test:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Run tests
          command: npm test
  deploy_to_production:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Create key.pem
          command: |
              echo $KEY_PEM | base64 -d -i > key.pem
              chmod 400 key.pem
      - run:
          name: Add to known hosts
          command: ssh-keyscan -H 54.200.60.31 >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
      - run:
          name: Install pm2
          command: sudo npm i -g pm2
      - run:
          name: Deploy to EC2
          command: pm2 deploy production

workflows:
  sample:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test
      - deploy_to_production:
          requires:
              - build-and-test

  • Create a key.pem from the environment variable, add host to known hosts, install pm2, and deploy.
  • Job added to the workflow.
  • Push to git with git add . and git commit -m "update circleci config" and git push.
  • Verify that the build has succeeded and deployed to production.

Branch level job execution​

  • Objective: Merges into staging should trigger a deployment to staging. Merges into main should trigger a deployment to production.
  • Change ecosystem.config.js to look like this:
module.exports = {
  apps: [
    {
      script: "npm start",
    },
  ],

  deploy: {
    production: {
      key: "key.pem",
      user: "ubuntu",
      host: "54.200.60.31",
      ref: "origin/main",
      repo: "git@github.com:travisluong/fullstackbook-nextjs-pm2.git",
      path: "/home/ubuntu",
      "pre-deploy-local": "",
      "post-deploy":
        "source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh && npm install && npm run build && pm2 reload ecosystem.config.js --env production",
      "pre-setup": "",
      ssh_options: "ForwardAgent=yes",
    },
    staging: {
      key: "key.pem",
      user: "ubuntu",
      host: "54.200.60.31",
      ref: "origin/staging",
      repo: "git@github.com:travisluong/fullstackbook-nextjs-pm2.git",
      path: "/home/ubuntu",
      "pre-deploy-local": "",
      "post-deploy":
        "source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh && npm install && npm run build && pm2 reload ecosystem.config.js --env staging",
      "pre-setup": "",
      ssh_options: "ForwardAgent=yes",
    },
  },
};

  • Staging deployment added.
  • Change config.yml to look like this:
version: 2.1

orbs:
  node: circleci/node@4.7

jobs:
  build-and-test:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Run tests
          command: npm test
  deploy_to_production:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Create key.pem
          command: |
              echo $KEY_PEM | base64 -d -i > key.pem
              chmod 400 key.pem
      - run:
          name: Add to known hosts
          command: ssh-keyscan -H 54.200.60.31 >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
      - run:
          name: Install pm2
          command: sudo npm i -g pm2
      - run:
          name: Deploy to EC2
          command: pm2 deploy production
  deploy_to_staging:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Create key.pem
          command: |
              echo $KEY_PEM | base64 -d -i > key.pem
              chmod 400 key.pem
      - run:
          name: Add to known hosts
          command: ssh-keyscan -H 54.200.60.31 >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
      - run:
          name: Install pm2
          command: sudo npm i -g pm2
      - run:
          name: Deploy to EC2
          command: pm2 deploy staging
workflows:
  build:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters:
            branches:
              ignore:
                - main
                - staging
  production:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters: &filters-production
            branches:
              only: main
      - deploy_to_production:
          filters:
            <<: *filters-production
          requires:
              - build-and-test
  staging:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters: &filters-staging
            branches:
              only: staging
      - deploy_to_staging:
          filters:
            <<: *filters-staging
          requires:
              - build-and-test

  • deploy_to_staging job added.
  • There are three workflows now.
    • build runs the build_and_test job for all branches except main and staging.
    • production runs the build_and_test job and the deploy_to_production job for only the main branch.
    • staging runs the build_and_test job and the deploy_to_staging job for only the staging branch.
  • The &filters-production is a yaml anchor. It is a way of re-using the configuration. For example, the nested properties are re-used anywhere <<: *filters-production is used.

Add manual approval​

  • Objective: Add a button to trigger a deployment, instead of automatically deploying.
  • Change config.yml to look like this:
version: 2.1

orbs:
  node: circleci/node@4.7

jobs:
  build-and-test:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Run tests
          command: npm test
  deploy_to_production:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Create key.pem
          command: |
              echo $KEY_PEM | base64 -d -i > key.pem
              chmod 400 key.pem
      - run:
          name: Add to known hosts
          command: ssh-keyscan -H 54.200.60.31 >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
      - run:
          name: Install pm2
          command: sudo npm i -g pm2
      - run:
          name: Deploy to EC2
          command: pm2 deploy production
  deploy_to_staging:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:16.10
    steps:
      - checkout
      - node/install-packages:
          pkg-manager: npm
      - run:
          name: Create key.pem
          command: |
              echo $KEY_PEM | base64 -d -i > key.pem
              chmod 400 key.pem
      - run:
          name: Add to known hosts
          command: ssh-keyscan -H 54.200.60.31 >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
      - run:
          name: Install pm2
          command: sudo npm i -g pm2
      - run:
          name: Deploy to EC2
          command: pm2 deploy staging
workflows:
  build:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters:
            branches:
              ignore:
                - main
                - staging
  production:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters: &filters-production
            branches:
              only: main
      - hold_for_approval:
          type: approval
          requires:
              - build-and-test
      - deploy_to_production:
          filters:
            <<: *filters-production
          requires:
              - build-and-test
              - hold_for_approval
  staging:
    jobs:
      - build-and-test:
          filters: &filters-staging
            branches:
              only: staging
      - hold_for_approval:
          type: approval
          requires:
              - build-and-test
      - deploy_to_staging:
          filters:
            <<: *filters-staging
          requires:
              - build-and-test
              - hold_for_approval

  • The hold_for_approval job was added in both the production and staging workflow.

Reference​