node-host-components

run components of a large project on separate machines

Example

Place your existing node application in a sub directory, and create a server.js file so it is relative to the other files like this. Let's assume we started with two node modules or servers that work together (api and application) We handled deployment and version control of these applications separately because, well, we had to, but it's about to get a lot easier.

├─┬ api
│ ├── server.js
│ └── .git
├─┬ application
│ ├── server.js
│ └── .git
├── .git
├── deploy.js
├── network.json
└── server.js

Create a very simple network.json file. The important part when creating components here is to name the directory that holds the component the same as in the network.json

network.json

{
  "api": { },
  "application": { }
}

Now add to the new server.js

server.js

var host_component = require('node-host-components')
var network = require('network.json')

host_component({ 
  network: network 
})

Before you deploy, set your hostname so it contains the name of the component you want to run on the machine. Avoid overly generalized names and collisions.

› hostname
  spinoza-api

Since our hostname contains api and this matches with our network.json and subdirectory named api -- a call to node server will trigger the api component to load. Now you can deploy the same source code to every machine for maximum DRYness.

Let's setup the application machine too.

› hostname
  locke-application

Ok great, now lets go back and update our network.json file so it looks something like this. Now you can feel free to add more components to your system without a lot of complexity. Just remember to choose hostnames wisely.

network.json

{
  "api": { 
    "spinoza": {
      "public": "spinoza-api.joyent.us" 
    },
    "aquinas": {
      "public": "aquinas-api.joyent.us" 
    },
    "socrates": {
      "public": "socrates-api.joyent.us" 
    }
  },
  "application": {
    "locke": {
      "public": "locke-application.joyent.us" 
    }
  }
}

Finally, we deploy to all of our machines with a simple node deploy command using another npm module node-network-deploy.

deploy.js

var deploy = require('node-network-deploy')

deploy({
  network: require(__dirname +'/network.json'), 
  provider: 'joyent', // default
  username: 'node',  // default
  branch: 'master',  // default
  path: 'repo', // default
  port: 80 // default
})

Success!

License

MIT