The closer you are to the server, the faster your experience will be.
It wasn't long ago that web app developers had to choose a region where they thought the bulk of their users would be located, leaving people on the other side of the world with longer waiting times.
Fortunately, times have changed and it's now possible to deploy an application and have it be distributed worldwide– and it's not as tough as it sounds!
This tutorial will show you how to deploy a multi-region Node.js application with a persistent database, ensuring optimal performance no matter where your users are located thanks to Fly.io.
Here are some of the topics you'll tackle along the way:
Deployment with Fly.io
The first step is to get acquainted with configuring Docker and Fly's CLI tool by deploying the demo Counter app.
After all, you have to have everything working in one region before you make it work in multiple regions!
Data Persistence and Health Checks
You'll learn how to create persisted volumes to avoid data loss, as well as the steps for setting up health checks and custom endpoints for monitoring the app.
Automatic Deployment with GitHub Actions
The deployment process is pretty easy thanks to Fly's CLI tool– but automating it makes it even easier 😎
Creating a Staging Environment
Testing your app safely in a staging environment before it goes live is a great way to ensure a smoother rollout with reduced risk of downtime. This is a huge benefit that comes from a minimal amount of configuration.
Embrace the Distributed Architecture
Once you understand how the pieces fit together, you'll be ready to deploy the demo application to regions all around the world.
But it's not just the app itself. Fly.io supports LiteFS, which is used to replicate SQLite databases. This means your database can live on the edge, right beside your application.
Everything you learn about deployment in this tutorial is ready for you to put into action for your own applications.
Ready to fly?
Let's do this!