Full-Stack Deployment Using Docker & GitHub Actions

Prerequisites

1. AWS Account: Make sure you have an AWS account. 

2. EC2 Instance: Create an EC2 instance and ensure you have SSH access. 

3. Docker: Install Docker on your local machine and the EC2 instance. 

4. GitHub Repository: Have a Node.js application hosted on GitHub.

• Plan

The project plan involves three main phases:

• Node.js Application Setup and GitHub Integration:

• Setting up a Node.js application, ensuring proper version control with Git, and creating a GitHub repository.

• Customizing Docker images through modifying configuration files and pushing them to Docker Hub.

• GitHub Actions and Docker Workflow:

• Leveraging GitHub Actions to automate the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) workflow.

• Building Docker images, handling secrets securely, and automating the deployment process to Docker Hub.

• AWS EC2 and Self-Hosted Runners:

• Configuring an AWS EC2 instance for self-hosted runners, including security group settings.

• Installing necessary dependencies like .NET and libicu on the EC2 instance and following GitHub instructions to set up and monitor the self-hosted runner.

• Step-by-Step Guide 

Step 1: Set up your Node.js Application

• GOOGLE_DRIVE_FILE_ID: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/133-UwNB8RdjJE-_mFFm3Oenq9pq-rNzZ?usp=drive_link

• REPO_URL: 

https://github.com/Rizwantech5/NODEJS-APP.git

• Install Git: 

If you don’t have Git installed on your computer, you need to download and install it. You can find the installation instructions for various operating systems one the official Git website: 

• Clone the Repository:

1. Open a command prompt or Git Bash on your local machine.

2. Use the git clone command to clone the repository:

• Open the Git Repository:

• Use command

• Navigate to the .github Directory:

• Inside the repository, locate the .github directory.

• Open the Desired File:

• Within the .github directory, find the file you want to modify (e.g., a workflow file, possibly named “cicd-workflow.yml” or similar).

• Edit the File:

• Open the file for editing.

• Locate Docker Image Name:

• Scroll through the file until you find the lines containing the Docker image name. These lines might be around line numbers 16, 18, 33, and 37.

• Make Changes:

• Change the Docker image name on lines 16, 18, 33, and 37. Replace the existing name with your preferred name. For example, change from:

• image: rizwanshaukat/nodejs-app

• to

• image: YourDockerUsername/YourCustomImageName

• Save the Changes:

• After making the changes, look for an option to save the file. This is usually a “Commit Changes” button.

• Commit Changes:

• Use command 

• Create a New Repository on GitHub:

• In your GitHub account, click on the “+” sign in the top right corner and choose “New repository.”

• Fill in the necessary information for your new repository, including a name and optional description.

• Initialize with a README (Optional):

• You can choose to initialize the repository with a README file if you wish.

• Create Repository:

• Click the “Create repository” button to create the new repository on GitHub.

• Push the Modified File:

• Once the repository is created. Use commands

• Replace <repository_url> with the actual URL of your new GitHub repository.

Step 2: GitHub

• Navigate to Your Repository:

• Open your GitHub repository in a web browser.

• Go to “Settings”:

• In the top-right corner of your repository, click on the “Settings” tab.

• Navigate to “Secrets”:

• In the left sidebar, find and click on “Secrets and variables”

• Click on “Action”

• Add a New Secret:

• Click on the “New repository secret” button.

• Enter Name and Value:

• Provide a name for your secret (e.g., DOCKER_USERNAME) and the corresponding sensitive value (e.g., your Docker Hub username).

• Click “Add secret” to save it. 

• Again click  “New repository secret” button. 

• Provide a name for your secret (e.g., DOCKER_PASSWORD) and the corresponding sensitive value (e.g., your Docker Hub password).

• Click “Add secret” to save it.

• Repeat for Additional Secrets:

• If you have more secrets to add, repeat the process by clicking “New repository secret” again.

• Navigate to “Actions”:

• In the left sidebar, find and click on “Actions.”

• Click on “Runners“:

• Click on the “New Self-hosted runners” button.

• In the Runner image click on “Linux” 

• Follow the Instructions for Your Operating System:

• GitHub provides instructions for various operating systems. Choose the appropriate tab for your operating system and follow the provided instructions.

Step 3: Configure AWS EC2 Instance

• Setting Up GitHub Runners on EC2:

• Create an EC2 Instance:

• Launch an EC2 instance on AWS with an operating system of your choice (e.g., Amazon Linux, Ubuntu).

• Connect to Your EC2 Instance:

• Use putty or SSH to connect to your EC2 instance. Replace your-key.pem and your-instance-ip with your actual key file and EC2 instance IP:

• Select the Security Group Associated with Your EC2 Instance:

• In the list of security groups, find and select the security group associated with your EC2 instance.

• Edit the Inbound Rules:

• In the “Inbound” tab at the bottom, click the “Edit inbound rules” button.

• Add a Rule for Port 5000, 80:

• Click the “Add Rule” button.

• Set the following values for the new rule:

• Type: Custom TCP Rule

• Protocol: TCP

• Port Range: 5000

• Port Range: 80

• Source: Anywhere (0.0.0.0/0) or specify a more restricted source based on your requirements.

• Save the Changes:

• After adding the rule, click the “Save rules” button to apply the changes.

• Install .Net and install libicu library Follow the link below

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/install/linux-centos

• Open a terminal and run the following commands:

• Install the SDK:

• Install the runtime

• installing the libicu library

• Follow GitHub Instructions:

• Go to the GitHub repository and navigate “Setting”. In the setting navigate “Action”. Click on “Runner”. Click on “New Self-hosted runners”.

• Follow the provided instructions in the “Download” and “Configure” sections.

• Handle libcu Library Errors (if any):

• If any errors related to libcu libraries occur during the setup, refer to the previous instructions for troubleshooting.

• Configure Runner Options:

• When prompted, enter the requested information:

• Run the Last Command:

• Execute the final command provided in the “Runner” section to complete the setup.

• Monitor Runner Activity:

• After setting up the GitHub Runner on your EC2 instance, go to the Actions tab within your GitHub repository.

• Use this tab to monitor the runner’s activity, check workflow runs, and view detailed logs.

• Clicking the public IP address of an EC2 instance

• If you have set up a web service on your EC2 instance running on port 5000