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Launchpad Backend Deployment

Method 1 - Manual deployment (docker-compose)​

Step 1 - Install the Docker Engine​

if the docker engine is not installed on the server, see this link to see how to install the docker engine.

Step 2 - Clone the Repo​

Launchpad Backend repo

Step 3 - Fill out the .env variables​

  1. Open the .env.example file, then copy and fill out all the variables into the .env file.

Step 4 - Run the Postgres container​

docker compose up postgresdb

Step 3 - Install the dependencies​

npm install

Step 4 - Run the Migrations​

npm run db:push

Step 5 - Run all docker compose services​

docker compose up --no-deps --build -d

Step 5 - Install the Nginx​

1 -

apt update
apt install
apt install nginx

Note: you can verify the installation of the nginx by going to the server IP in the browser.

2 - install the UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)

apt install ufw

3 - to verify if it’s install:

ufw status

4 - to allow port 22 for users to login to the server:

ufw allow 22

5 - to enable the ufw:

ufw enable

6 - to allow Nginx ports:

ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Step 6 - Manage DNS​

  1. go to the Cloudflare or wherever you can manage your domain’s DNS to add a A record points to your backend server IP.

Step 7 - check the ip​

  1. go to the backend domain pointing to your server on the port that the backend is running to see the server is running. but we need to have a reverse proxy so that if we enter the backend domain, it shows the app which is running.

Step 8 - Set up the Reverse Proxy​

1 -

cd /etc/nginx
unlink sites-enabled/default
systemctl restart nginx
cd sites-available
nano poplylaunchpadapi

Path: /etc/nginx/conf.d/launchpad_upstream.conf

upstream launchpad_api {
  server 127.0.0.1:6003 max_fails=3 fail_timeout=5s;
  keepalive 64;
}

Path: /etc/nginx/sites-available/poplylaunchpadapi

server {
    server_name launchpadapi.poply.xyz;
    client_max_body_size 15M;

    location /api/v1/ {
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Connection "";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        proxy_connect_timeout 2s;
        proxy_send_timeout 8s;
        proxy_read_timeout 8s;

        proxy_pass http://launchpad_api;
    }

    listen 443 ssl; # managed by Certbot
    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/launchpadapi.poply.xyz/fullchain.pem; # managed by Certbot
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/launchpadapi.poply.xyz/privkey.pem; # managed by Certbot
    include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf; # managed by Certbot
    ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem; # managed by Certbot
}

server {
    if ($host = launchpadapi.poply.xyz) {
        return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
    } # managed by Certbot

    listen 80 default_server;
    server_name launchpadapi.poply.xyz;
    return 404; # managed by Certbot
}

Path: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

worker_processes auto;
events {
    worker_connections 8192;
    # multi_accept on;
}


# Keep-alive tuning
keepalive_timeout 65;
keepalive_requests 1000;

2 - create a softlink in the sites-enabled/poplylaunchpadapi pointing to sites-available/poplylaunchpadapi file.

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/poplylaunchpadapi /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/poplylaunchpadapi
systemctl restart nginx

3 - run the backend and then visit the backend domain to see server is running.

Step 9 - Secure Nginx with Let’s encrypt​

1 -

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

certbot --nginx -d launchpadapi.poply.xyz

2 - Run the backend again to see if the SSL is working for the backend domain.

Run the migrations:​

run this migration