DigitalOcean server setup

Introduction

For you to be able to deploy your Node JS application on DigitalOcean server you need to understand a few things.

You will need to create a droplet, which is DigitalOcean’s name for a Virtual Private Server(VPS). A VPS is a server that is being hosted by a 3rd party on the internet. It allows you to easily create new servers on demand without the need to setup and physical hardware of your own in a data centre.

Setup

This is a step by step tutorial of how to setup your own Ubuntu server on a Digital Ocean VPS.

You will start by creating a droplet, learn how to connect to it (as it is a remote server). Then you will setup secure user accounts, next you will learn what a firewall is and how to install and configure a basic one. After that you will install all the software you need to run your application on the server. This is very similar to what you did on your laptop already, but there are a few extra applications needed on the server. Once all the applications are installed you will deploy your application on the server. Along the way you will also learn a bit about IP addresses and domain names. Once this process is completed you will have your own server running and will be able to deploy your applications to it.

To get going follow the instructions in the menu on the left .