How to Automate A Blog Post App Deployment With GitHub Actions, Node.js, CouchDB, and Aptible

Welcome to the guide on automating a blog post app deployment using GitHub Actions, Node.js, CouchDB, and Aptible. This comprehensive tutorial will guide you in building, deploying, and managing a blog post application using the tools and technologies above. But first, let me give you a brief overview of the app, what it does, and its main components. The app is a web application that allows users to create and share blog posts. Blogpost Blogpost Users can write, edit, delete, and view posts by other users. The app uses Node.js as the backend, CouchDB as the database, and GitHub Actions as the continuous integration and deployment tool. Why did I choose these? Well, there are many reasons, but here are some of the main ones: is a fast, scalable, and easy-to-use JavaScript runtime environment that can run on various platforms. It has many libraries and frameworks for web development, such as Express, a minimalist and flexible web application framework I will use in this project. Node.js is an open-source NoSQL database system that’s reliable, secure, and powerful. It is a database that uses to store data. CouchDB document-oriented JSON is a flexible, convenient, and integrated tool that allows you to automate workflows for your GitHub repositories. It also has many pre-built actions that you can use or customize for your needs, such as the Aptible Deploy action, which I will use in this project to deploy the app to Aptible. GitHub Actions is a cloud-based platform for deploying and managing containerized applications, providing easy provisioning, scaling, and monitoring capabilities. Aptible Prerequisites Before starting on the development journey, setting up the necessary tools and technologies is essential. Ensure Node.js is installed on your machine. Node.js: Verify that CouchDB is installed and running on your system. CouchDB: Possess a solid understanding of Node.js and JavaScript fundamentals. Node.js and JavaScript Expertise: Install and run Docker on your machine. Docker: Create an Aptible account and familiarize yourself with deploying a basic application. Aptible Account: Acquire a Docker Cloud account to host your applications. Docker Cloud Account: Developing the Blogpost App Step 1: Set Up Your Node.js Project Create a project directory for your blog post app. Initialize a Node.js project using npm: npm init -y Install the Express.js framework, which will serve as the foundation for the backend: npm install express nano Step 2: Set Up CouchDB Make sure CouchDB is installed and running. You can access CouchDB through your browser at . http://127.0.0.1:5984/_utils/ Step 3: Create Your Node.js Application Create a file in your project directory. blog.js Initialize Express and connect it to CouchDB: const express = require("express"); const nano = require("nano")("http://admin:admin@127.0.0.1:5984"); const app = express(); const port = 3000; // Middleware to parse JSON data app.use(express.json()); // async function asyncCall() { // // await nano.db.destroy("alice"); // await nano.db.create("blogposts"); // const db = nano.use("blogposts"); // return response; // } // asyncCall(); const db = nano.use("blogposts"); This code defines API endpoints for creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting blog posts using a CouchDB database. // Create a new blog post app.post("/posts", async (req, res) => { const { title, description, author } = req.body; try { const doc = await db.insert({ title, description, author, createdAt: new Date(), updatedAt: new Date(), }); res.json({ id: doc.id, rev: doc.rev }); } catch (err) { console.error(err); res.status(500).send("Error creating post"); } }); // Get all blog posts app.get("/posts", async (req, res) => { try { const docs = await db.list({ include_docs: true }); res.json(docs.rows); } catch (err) { console.error(err); res.status(500).send("Error retrieving posts"); } }); // Get a specific blog post app.get("/posts/:id", async (req, res) => { const { id } = req.params; try { const doc = await db.get(id); res.json(doc); } catch (err) { console.error(err); res.status(404).send("Post not found"); } }); // Update a blog post app.put("/posts/:id", async (req, res) => { const { id } = req.params; const { title, description } = req.body; try { await db.insert({ _id: id, title, description, updatedAt: new Date(), }); res.json({ message: "Post updated successfully" }); } catch (err) { console.error(err); res.status(500).send("Error updating post"); } }); // Delete a blog post app.delete("/posts/:id", async (req, res) => { const { id } = req.params; try { await db.destroy(id); res.json({ message: "Post deleted successfully" }); } catch (err) { console.error(err); res.status(500).send("Error deleting post"); } }); app.listen(port, () => { console.log(`Blogpost app listening on port ${port}`); }); Testing it Locally: Thorough testing is crucial to ensure the functionality and robustness of your project. Here's a sample to guide your testing process: API documentation API Documentation : Base URL Assuming your server is running locally at port 3000, the base URL for your API would be: http://localhost:3000 API Endpoints: a. Create a New Blog Post : Endpoint POST /posts : Creates a new blog post. Description : Request Body { "title": "String", "description": "String", "author": "String" } : Example POST http://localhost:3000/posts { "title": "Sample Title", "description": "Sample Description", "author": "John Doe" } b. Get All Blog Posts : Endpoint GET /posts : Retrieves all blog posts. Description : Response [ { "id": "String", "key": "String", "value": { "rev": "String" }, "doc": { "_id": "String", "_rev": "String", "title": "String", "description": "String", "author": "String", "createdAt": "Date", "updatedAt": "Date" } } ] : Example GET http://localhost:3000/posts c. Get a Specific Blog Post : Endpoint GET /posts/:id : Retrieves a specific blog post by its ID. Description : Parameters : ID of the blog post. id : Response { "_id": "String", "_rev": "String", "title": "String", "description": "String", "author": "String", "createdAt": "Date", "updatedAt": "Date" } : Example GET http://localhost:3000/posts/your-post-id d. Update a Blog Post : Endpoint PUT /posts/:id : Updates a specific blog post by its ID. Description : Parameters : ID of the blog post. id : Request Body { "title": "String", "description": "String" } : Example PUT http://localhost:3000/posts/your-post-id { "title": "Updated Title", "description": "Updated Description" } e. Delete a Blog Post : Endpoint DELETE /posts/:id : Deletes a specific blog post by its ID. Description : Parameters : ID of the blog post. id : Example DELETE http://localhost:3000/posts/your-post-id Please replace with an actual ID of the blog post when testing the , , and requests. your-post-id GET PUT DELETE Step 4: Dockerize Your Node.js Application You need to have a Docker Hub account. If you haven't created one yet, sign up at Docker Hub. Ensure you have Docker installed and running on your local machine. Steps to Push Dockerized App to Docker Hub: in the root directory of your Node.js project. Create a Dockerfile # Use an official Node.js runtime as the base image FROM node:16 # Set the working directory in the container WORKDIR /usr/src/app # Copy package.json and package-lock.json to the working directory COPY package*.json ./ # Install app dependencies RUN npm install # Copy the rest of the application files to the working directory COPY . . # Expose the port the app runs on EXPOSE 3000 # Define the command to run the app CMD ["node", "blog.js"] Open your terminal/command prompt and navigate to the root directory of your Node.js application, where your Dockerfile is located. Tag your Docker image: Run the following command to build your Docker image and tag it with your Docker Hub username and desired repository name: docker build -t your-docker-username/blogpost-app:latest . Replace with your Docker Hub username and with your desired repository name. your-docker-username blogpost-app You will get a similar response like this: [+] Building 1.1s (10/10) FINISHED docker:desktop-linux => [internal] load .dockerignore 0.0s => => transferring context: 2B 0.0s => [internal] load build definition from Dockerfile 0.0s => => transferring dockerfile: 489B 0.0s => [internal] load metadata for docker.io/library/node:16 1.0s => [1/5] FROM docker.io/library/node:16@sha256:f77a1aef2da8d83e45ec990f45df50f1a286c5fe8bbfb8c6e4246c6389705c0b 0.0s => [internal] load build context 0.0s => => transferring context: 45.31kB 0.0s => CACHED [2/5] WORKDIR /usr/src/app 0.0s => CACHED [3/5] COPY package*.json ./ 0.0s => CACHED [4/5] RUN npm install 0.0s => CACHED [5/5] COPY . . 0.0s => exporting to image 0.0s => => exporting layers 0.0s => => writing image sha256:c5f046a9b99389aea6bf3f503e9b05cce953daf1b3f77ee5fb3f7469dc36c709 0.0s => => naming to docker.io/wise4rmgod/blogpost-app:latest Authenticate your Docker client with your Docker Hub account by executing the following command: Log in to Docker Hub: docker login Enter your Docker Hub username and password when prompted. Authenticating with existing credentials... Login Succeeded Once logged in, push your tagged Docker image to your Docker Hub repository using the following command: Push the Docker image to Docker Hub: docker push your-docker-username/blogpost-app:latest This command uploads your local image to Docker Hub under your specified repository. Go to your Docker Hub account on the web and navigate to your repository to confirm that your Docker image has been successfully pushed. Verify the Push: Step 5: Deploy your project to Aptible This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of setting up an , , and on the Aptible platform. The tutorial utilizes CouchDB as the database and employs Direct Docker for deployment. environment application endpoint, database Log in to Aptible via CLI using the following command: aptible login You will be prompted to enter your email and password. If successful, you will receive a response similar to this: Token written to /Users/wisdomnwokocha/.aptible/tokens.json This token will expire after 6 days, 23 hrs (use --lifetime to customize) Now, deploy your app using the following command: Syntax: aptible deploy --app --docker-image Here is an example command: aptible deploy --app reactgame --docker-image wise4rmgod/blogpost-app You will receive a response similar to the following: INFO -- : Starting App deploy operation with ID: 61135861 INFO -- : Deploying without git repository INFO -- : Writing .aptible.env file... INFO -- : Fetching app image: wise4rmgod/blogpost-app... INFO -- : Pulling from wise4rmgod/blogpost-app INFO -- : 26ee4ff96582: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 446eab4103f4: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 2e3c22a0f840: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 3808fdf0c601: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : ab9e4075c671: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 362360c8cef6: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 928b5d11ac66: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : dc87e077ac61: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : f108e80f4efc: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 84ac53840ac8: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : e81f21b79a1f: Pulling fs layer INFO -- : 2e3c22a0f840: Downloading: 523 KB / 49.8 MB INFO -- : 446eab4103f4: Downloading: 173 KB / 16.6 MB INFO -- : 26ee4ff96582: Downloading: 483 KB / 47 MB INFO -- : 2e3c22a0f840: Downloading: 25.7 MB / 49.8 MB INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Downloading: 528 KB / 175 MB INFO -- : ab9e4075c671: Downloading: 355 KB / 33.4 MB INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Downloading: 35.3 MB / 175 MB INFO -- : 26ee4ff96582: Pull complete INFO -- : 446eab4103f4: Pull complete INFO -- : 2e3c22a0f840: Pull complete INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Downloading: 71.2 MB / 175 MB INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Downloading: 106 MB / 175 MB INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Downloading: 142 MB / 175 MB INFO -- : a7ab8ad9b408: Pull complete INFO -- : 3808fdf0c601: Pull complete INFO -- : ab9e4075c671: Pull complete INFO -- : 362360c8cef6: Pull complete INFO -- : 928b5d11ac66: Pull complete INFO -- : dc87e077ac61: Pull complete INFO -- : f108e80f4efc: Pull complete INFO -- : 84ac53840ac8: Pull complete INFO -- : e81f21b79a1f: Pull complete INFO -- : Digest: sha256:de9d04d069ca89ebdb37327365a815c88cd40d90cbc5395cc31c351fff1206dd INFO -- : Status: Downloaded newer image for wise4rmgod/blogpost-app:latest INFO -- : No Procfile found in git directory or /.aptible/Procfile found in Docker image: using Docker image CMD INFO -- : No .aptible.yml found in git directory or /.aptible/.aptible.yml found in Docker image: no before_release commands will run INFO -- : Pushing image dualstack-v2-registry-i-0a5ec8cff8e775b34.aptible.in:46022/app-63213/72184c41-7dc6-4313-b10e-749125f72577:latest to private Docker registry... INFO -- : The push refers to repository [dualstack-v2-registry-i-0a5ec8cff8e775b34.aptible.in:46022/app-63213/72184c41-7dc6-4313-b10e-749125f72577] INFO -- : dd387bc6b362: Pushed INFO -- : 586bd9d5efcf: Pushed INFO -- : 8ae0c889ca84: Pushed INFO -- : c91ec53bcc27: Pushing: 522 KB / 93.6 MB INFO -- : aec897bac4f0: Pushed INFO -- : 0ead224631d3: Pushed INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 542 KB / 444 MB INFO -- : 2a7587eb01b6: Pushing: 544 KB / 137 MB INFO -- : be36d2a441aa: Pushed INFO -- : 03f6e3800bbe: Pushed INFO -- : a10e482288d1: Pushing: 338 KB / 30.7 MB INFO -- : f9cfc9f6b603: Pushing: 513 KB / 103 MB INFO -- : c91ec53bcc27: Pushing: 31.3 MB / 93.6 MB INFO -- : c91ec53bcc27: Pushing: 62.7 MB / 93.6 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 44.5 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : 2a7587eb01b6: Pushing: 34.4 MB / 137 MB INFO -- : a10e482288d1: Pushed INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 88.9 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : f9cfc9f6b603: Pushing: 34.6 MB / 103 MB INFO -- : 2a7587eb01b6: Pushing: 68.9 MB / 137 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 133 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : f9cfc9f6b603: Pushing: 70.2 MB / 103 MB INFO -- : c91ec53bcc27: Pushed INFO -- : 2a7587eb01b6: Pushing: 103 MB / 137 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 178 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 224 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : 2a7587eb01b6: Pushed INFO -- : f9cfc9f6b603: Pushed INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 270 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 312 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 355 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushing: 401 MB / 444 MB INFO -- : ad3b30eb29d3: Pushed INFO -- : latest: digest: sha256:de9d04d069ca89ebdb37327365a815c88cd40d90cbc5395cc31c351fff1206dd size: 2841 INFO -- : Pulling from app-63213/72184c41-7dc6-4313-b10e-749125f72577 INFO -- : Digest: sha256:de9d04d069ca89ebdb37327365a815c88cd40d90cbc5395cc31c351fff1206dd INFO -- : Status: Image is up to date for dualstack-v2-registry-i-0a5ec8cff8e775b34.aptible.in:46022/app-63213/72184c41-7dc6-4313-b10e-749125f72577:latest INFO -- : Image app-63213/72184c41-7dc6-4313-b10e-749125f72577 successfully pushed to registry. INFO -- : STARTING: Register service cmd in API INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.28s): Register service cmd in API INFO -- : STARTING: Derive placement policy for service cmd INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.15s): Derive placement policy for service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Create new release for service cmd INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.24s): Create new release for service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Schedule service cmd .. INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 13.49s): Schedule service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Stop old app containers for service cmd INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.0s): Stop old app containers for service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Start app containers for service cmd INFO -- : WAITING FOR: Start app containers for service cmd INFO -- : WAITING FOR: Start app containers for service cmd INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 18.4s): Start app containers for service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Delete old containers for service cmd in API INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.0s): Delete old containers for service cmd in API INFO -- : STARTING: Commit app containers in API for service cmd INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.26s): Commit app containers in API for service cmd INFO -- : STARTING: Commit service cmd in API INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.13s): Commit service cmd in API INFO -- : STARTING: Cache maintenance page INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.28s): Cache maintenance page INFO -- : STARTING: Commit app in API INFO -- : COMPLETED (after 0.19s): Commit app in API INFO -- : App deploy successful. Visit the Aptible Dashboard to confirm that the deployment was successful. Click on the tab in the dashboard and save the endpoint. This will allow you to expose your database to the public internet. Endpoint Click on in the next screen to create a new endpoint. Add Endpoint Step 6: Create GitHub Actions Workflow: Push your code to GitHub and navigate to your repository on GitHub.com. Go to the tab in your repository. Actions Click on the "Set up a workflow yourself" or "New workflow" button, then choose "Set up a workflow yourself". GitHub will open an editor to create the workflow YAML file (e.g., ). .github/workflows/docker-build-push.yml Replace the content with the following example YAML code: on: push: branches: [ main ] env: IMAGE_NAME: user/app:latest APTIBLE_ENVIRONMENT: "my_environment" APTIBLE_APP: "my_app" jobs: deploy: runs-on: ubuntu-latest # Allow multi platform builds. - name: Set up QEMU uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v2 # Allow use of secrets and other advanced docker features. - name: Set up Docker Buildx uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v2 # Log into Docker Hub - name: Login to DockerHub uses: docker/login-action@v2 with: username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }} password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }} # Build image using default dockerfile. - name: Build and push uses: docker/build-push-action@v3 with: push: true tags: ${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }} - name: Deploy to Aptible uses: aptible/aptible-deploy-action@v1 with: username: ${{ secrets.APTIBLE_USERNAME }} password: ${{ secrets.APTIBLE_PASSWORD }} environment: ${{ env.APTIBLE_ENVIRONMENT }} app: ${{ env.APTIBLE_APP }} docker_img: ${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }} private_registry_username: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USERNAME }} private_registry_password: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }} Adjust the branch name , Docker Hub username , and repository name , , , and to match your configurations. main yourusername yourrepository aptible_username aptible_password environment Set Up Secrets: Click on the repository . Settings Go to ➔ . Secrets New repository secret Add four secrets: : Your Docker Hub username. DOCKERHUB_USERNAME : Your Docker Hub access token. Generate it in Docker Hub under Account Settings ➔ Security ➔ New Access Token. Give it the necessary permissions for pushing images. DOCKERHUB_TOKEN : Your Aptible username. APTIBLE_USERNAME : Your Aptible password. APTIBLE_PASSWORD Conclusion This comprehensive tutorial will help you build, deploy, and manage a blog post application with Node.js, CouchDB, and Aptible. You've grasped the fundamentals of setting up the essential tools and technologies, crafting the backend of the blog post application, dockerizing the application, pushing the Docker image to Docker Hub, and deploying the application to Aptible. Congratulations on completing this comprehensive tutorial and your journey into cloud-native application development using Aptible!