Building a Simple NodeJS API on Microsoft Azure Websites from Start to Finish

One of the most popular JavaScript frameworks used to handle the backend hassles like coding, integration extensions, APIs, and more is NodeJS. It has an excellent collection of UI elements that can be reused in multiple codes. It offers developers a decisive advantage in terms of faster development, better code performance, and easy debugging.

Although NodeJS is compatible with multiple hosting solutions, Microsoft Azure is the top name in the market. Microsoft has always preferred websites and APIs developed using the NodeJS platform. It has multiple advantages, which is why most developers plan to deploy the NodeJS APIs on the Azure hosting platform.

However, the work is much easier said than done. There are many things one needs to consider to develop and deploy the APIs successfully on Azure. This article will guide you through the entire process to give you a deeper insight and better clarification.

Benefits of using NodeJS for developing API

NodeJS is one of the best frameworks based on JavaScript to develop Application Programming Interfaces. The following section will introduce you to the significant reasons for using this specific programming framework for developing the APIs.

1. Speed: One of the significant benefits of using NodeJS to build the API is its high rendering speed. It uses a single thread, ensuring the APIs are executed faster than any other framework. Therefore, the time gap between the request generated and the response displayed in the console is significantly less. Developers won’t even get the timeout error.
2. Easier versioning: To keep the APIs updated and in sync with the latest changes in the program, you need to update the versions and store all the details in a document form. NodeJS help you to change the versions and also the documentation. Therefore, developers can quickly push the warnings to the end users before implementing the new version changes.
3. Filtration and pagination: One of the main features of NodeJS implemented in APIs is limiting the content delivered on each request call. It does not display everything that the database holds against a primary key. Instead, it offers an option for the “Next,” allowing users to check the next page with further information sets according to their convenience.
4. Development ease: You can complete developing the API with the NodeJS framework in four to five steps. It does not involve days of work. With such a simple framework, the total development time taken for API is reduced significantly.
5. Higher security: Another significant reason to use NodeJS to develop the APIs is the built-in security protocols that other frameworks won’t offer. It has a special component termed ORM/ODM, with which the API calls can be validated before access to the database is granted.

Why use Microsoft Azure to deploy NodeJS API?

There are tons of hosting platforms where you can deploy the codes of NodeJS API. However, Microsoft Azure has become the top-rated option for various reasons. In this section, we have discussed why the Azure platform is considered the best one.

Powerful deployment tool:

One of the primary reasons Microsoft Azure is used for deploying the codes for NodeJS API is the presence of a powerful built-in tool named Visual Studio Code. You can also use the command line tools, which come with SDKs and extensions developed on Github.

Hosting channels can be customized:

Microsoft Azure offers multiple hosting channels to help you use the best one according to the requirements of the AI and the backend of the website or application. For instance, you can use the Azure store for direct hosting or serverless functions. Furthermore, you can also use the containers to deploy the codes like Kubernetes and Dockers.

Scalable and flexible:

Scaling the APIs built on NodeJS with the Microsoft Azure platform is easy. You can add extensions for MySQL and MongoDB for better database operations. In addition, you can also implement DevOps strategies for continuous integration and deployment.

A step-by-step guide to deploying NodeJS API on Microsoft Azure

Now that you have learned about the utility of NodeJS and Microsoft Azure for developing APIs and their deployment in the cloud server, let’s look at the process step-by-step.

1. First, you need to create a Resource Group in Azure. For this, visit your account and click Review+Create. Once the options are displayed, click Create, and a new Resource Group will be created. It will contain the Azure Container Registry.
2. Now, you need to create the ACR to hold the Docket images. Once done, create and implement the Azure pipelines to automate the process of pushing the docker images corresponding to the API code you have already updated on Github.
3. A new YAML file will be generated in editable mode. Search for a task named Docker@2 and then the tag line tags:’latest’. If the tag value is something else, edit it to the latest because this is the standard Docker convention.
4. By this time, the docker image would have been pushed to the repository through the Azure pipelines. To verify this, go to Azure’s portal and open the ACR you created in the Resource Group. From there, click on Repositories and check the Docker images.
5. Once you are done, integrate the NodeJS API with the ACR and use DevOps pipelines to deploy the same. If you get any error, it will be displayed on the screen. If not, you will get a general message about the successful deployment of the codes.
6. The next step is to create a perfect environment for continuous deployment. This way, if you ever make any changes to the API’s source codes, the changes will be seen in the web app you deployed through ACR in Microsoft Azure. Do not forget to test the codes for continuous deployment.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned about the benefits of using NodeJS to develop APIs and the reasons to use Microsoft Azure to deploy the APIs. Moreover, we have briefly explained a step-by-step guide to ensure you complete the process without hassle. Ensure you have an Azure and Github account because you have access to these portals while deploying the NodeJS API. Alternatively any offshore node js development company can help you set up the same.