This article explains the basics for publishing a Node JS application to the IBM Cloud (Formally Bluemix). It assumes that you are already have an IBM ID that is used on IBM Cloud.

Pre Reqs

  1. An IBM ID that is connected to an IBM Cloud account
  2. A Node JS Application exposing an HTTP(s) Interface
  3. The package.json of the NodeJS Application includes the following 
    "scripts": {
  "start": "node index.js"
}

1. Manifest file

In the root of the node js application create a manifest.yml

applications:
- buildpack: sdk-for-nodejs_v3_27-20190530-0937
  command: npm start
  instances: 1
  memory: 256MB
  name: applicationName
  routes:
  - route: applicationName.us-south.cf.appdomain.cloud
  timeout: 180

The terms in the manifest are as explained below

Term Definition
buildpack The IBM Cloud buildpack to pull in
command The Shell command to execute the nodejs application
instances The number of instances to spin up
memory The amount of memory each instance should have.
name The name of your application. This is used to identify the application in the IBM Cloud interfaces
routes The URL to access the application. Note the route must be unique and match the IBM Cloud you are routing to.
Timeout How long to wait for the applciation to start.

2. Update package.json

Ensure your package.json you have the following section.

"engines": {
  "node": "12.x",
  "npm": "6.x"
}

This tells the BuildPack which version of node and npm to use. If this is not their it defaults to v6.

3. Push

Log into the cloud with ibmcloud login --sso if you require logging in through your organization or ibmcloud login

Then push the application by running the following command in the directory with the manifest.yml file. ibmcloud cf push

Getting the logs

If you need to get the logs of your application then run the following command. ibmcloud cf logs ApplicationName --recent Remember to update ApplicationName to the name you set in the manifest.