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Regarding Architecture B, I was always curious why use nginx as a proxy to node? In my experience it is perfectly capable as an application server as well (Ope

by a_imho 7y ago

Regarding Architecture B, I was always curious why use nginx as a proxy to node? In my experience it is perfectly capable as an application server as well (OpenResty in particular), no need for yet another component. Also, I consider deployment via Docker a sensible default with all the niceties in tooling. For example I find it convenient to set a restart policy on the container process.

rewq4321 7y ago
+1, although the author does explain: > [nginx's] main use is to provide HTTPS support I've been using nginx purely for HTTPS stuff because I have been too lazy to learn how to do it with node. When working on little no-user-info sites that don't need SSL, I have cloudflare in front with no encryption to the origin (just an A record pointing at the IP of the server), and then just have a simple express app which proxies the requests on port 80 to apps on 3000, 3001, 3002, etc. based on the host header - makes me so happy compared to playing around with nginx config files.
fpereiro 7y ago
The main reason I use nginx is because it is so easy to configure HTTPS with LetsEncrypt & Certbot. Perhaps there's an almost equally easy solution now that only uses node, but last time I checked (2018) it was messy. In this article (https://medium.com/intrinsic/why-should-i-use-a-reverse-proxy-if-node-js-is-production-ready-5a079408b2ca https://medium.com/intrinsic/why-should-i-use-a-reverse-prox...) there's another good reason: by not making node manage the HTTPS certificates, no node library that I use (directly or indirectly through a dependency) can represent an attack surface regarding the certificates. But I must confess this is marginal compared to the ease of installation and maintenance that I already mentioned.
- mercer 7y ago
  Another good reason is that once you start running multiple apps with different tech stacks, it's so much nicer to be able to take care of the config using the regular sites-enabled 'workflow'! I have a server that runs a node app, and a few Phoenix apps, and all I have to do on the nginx end is forward to the correct port (and of course set up https with LetsEncrypt is real easy too).
jinglebells 7y ago
I always throw Nginx in front of Node so I can route statics to the filesystem (Don't serve js or CSS through NodeJS), plus it means I can run new NodeJS services and adjust the routing in Nginx to point to them. Also Fail2Ban reads Nginx logs
- a_imho 7y ago
  I read architecture B as a single server scenario, the question was why use Node in that case instead of handling everything in nginx (if you are set on using nginx anyway) for a minimal setup. Of course the same can apply the other way around, but I gather Node is just not good at some of the things nginx is.
  - fpereiro 7y ago
    I don't think it is at all possible to use nginx to write application logic otherwise than serving static files and perhaps doing some URL transformations. node gives you a full programming language that's necessary for implementing an API.
    - a_imho 7y ago
      It is absolutely possible, that is what the OpenResty stands for.
      - fpereiro 7y ago
        I stand corrected, you're right! I hadn't heard about OpenResty. It's amazing that this exists, I would have never thought it possible (because of what I saw as inherent limits in what can be expressed in terms of nginx configuration), but now that I see it, of course it is :). From what I gather, custom code can be written as Lua scripts, and many of the modules are written in Lua themselves. Thank you for sharing this!
        a_imho 7y ago
        As far as I remember Lua scripting is brought by the lua-ngx module, but it is also possible to use JS or the JVM (ngx-clojure) for location handler, or even write your own nginx module in C, nevertheless Lua is the first class citizen. I personally don't mind it, but obviously the ecosystem and the market for Lua is much smaller than JS. In fact, I'm only aware of itch.io that runs on OpenResty.

by a_imho 7y ago

rewq4321 7y ago

+1, although the author does explain: > [nginx's] main use is to provide HTTPS support I've been using nginx purely for HTTPS stuff because I have been too lazy to learn how to do it with node. When working on little no-user-info sites that don't need SSL, I have cloudflare in front with no encryption to the origin (just an A record pointing at the IP of the server), and then just have a simple express app which proxies the requests on port 80 to apps on 3000, 3001, 3002, etc. based on the host header - makes me so happy compared to playing around with nginx config files.

fpereiro 7y ago

The main reason I use nginx is because it is so easy to configure HTTPS with LetsEncrypt & Certbot. Perhaps there's an almost equally easy solution now that only uses node, but last time I checked (2018) it was messy. In this article (https://medium.com/intrinsic/why-should-i-use-a-reverse-proxy-if-node-js-is-production-ready-5a079408b2ca https://medium.com/intrinsic/why-should-i-use-a-reverse-prox...) there's another good reason: by not making node manage the HTTPS certificates, no node library that I use (directly or indirectly through a dependency) can represent an attack surface regarding the certificates. But I must confess this is marginal compared to the ease of installation and maintenance that I already mentioned.

mercer 7y ago
Another good reason is that once you start running multiple apps with different tech stacks, it's so much nicer to be able to take care of the config using the regular sites-enabled 'workflow'! I have a server that runs a node app, and a few Phoenix apps, and all I have to do on the nginx end is forward to the correct port (and of course set up https with LetsEncrypt is real easy too).

jinglebells 7y ago

I always throw Nginx in front of Node so I can route statics to the filesystem (Don't serve js or CSS through NodeJS), plus it means I can run new NodeJS services and adjust the routing in Nginx to point to them. Also Fail2Ban reads Nginx logs

a_imho 7y ago
I read architecture B as a single server scenario, the question was why use Node in that case instead of handling everything in nginx (if you are set on using nginx anyway) for a minimal setup. Of course the same can apply the other way around, but I gather Node is just not good at some of the things nginx is.
- fpereiro 7y ago
  I don't think it is at all possible to use nginx to write application logic otherwise than serving static files and perhaps doing some URL transformations. node gives you a full programming language that's necessary for implementing an API.
  - a_imho 7y ago
    It is absolutely possible, that is what the OpenResty stands for.
    - fpereiro 7y ago
      I stand corrected, you're right! I hadn't heard about OpenResty. It's amazing that this exists, I would have never thought it possible (because of what I saw as inherent limits in what can be expressed in terms of nginx configuration), but now that I see it, of course it is :). From what I gather, custom code can be written as Lua scripts, and many of the modules are written in Lua themselves. Thank you for sharing this!
      - a_imho 7y ago
        As far as I remember Lua scripting is brought by the lua-ngx module, but it is also possible to use JS or the JVM (ngx-clojure) for location handler, or even write your own nginx module in C, nevertheless Lua is the first class citizen. I personally don't mind it, but obviously the ecosystem and the market for Lua is much smaller than JS. In fact, I'm only aware of itch.io that runs on OpenResty.