Skip to content

Node.js Runtime Reference on Elastic Beanstalk

Prerequisites

  • Working Node.js Elastic Beanstalk web server environment.
  • Familiarity with project files package.json, Procfile, and .platform.
  • Access to platform branch configuration in Elastic Beanstalk.
  • Understanding of reverse proxy behavior in front of Node.js processes.

What You'll Build

You will map runtime behaviors for Node.js on Amazon Linux 2023: supported Node versions, dependency managers, nginx proxy integration, static file mapping, and package installation controls including .npmrc and node_modules handling.

flowchart TD
    A[AL2023 Node.js Platform] --> B[Node version selected from platform branch]
    A --> C[npm or yarn install workflow]
    A --> D[nginx reverse proxy]
    D --> E[Node process listening on PORT]
    A --> F[Static files mapping]
    A --> G[Deployment dependencies behavior]

Steps

  1. Select a platform branch that supports your required Node.js runtime generation.

  2. Pin runtime expectations in package.json.

    {
    "engines": {
        "node": ">=18"
    }
}

  3. Understand dependency manager behavior.

    • npm is used by default when package-lock.json and npm metadata are present.
    • Yarn can be used when project metadata indicates Yarn-based dependency workflows.

  4. Confirm app process binds to Elastic Beanstalk provided port.

    const port = process.env.PORT || 8080;
app.listen(port);

  5. Customize reverse proxy and static file behavior when needed.

    • nginx is in front of the application process by default.
    • Static file mappings can be configured to serve assets efficiently from proxy layer.
    • Proxy customization can be added via .platform/nginx/.

  6. Apply package install controls in repository configuration.

    • Use .npmrc for npm install behavior settings as needed.
    • Understand whether node_modules should be included or regenerated during deployment.

  7. Deploy and validate runtime behavior.

    eb deploy
eb logs

Verification

  • Environment runs on expected Node.js platform generation.
  • Dependency installation behavior matches package manager strategy.
  • nginx proxies requests to application process bound on process.env.PORT.
  • Static assets and proxy customizations load without health check regressions.
  • Installation settings from .npmrc are reflected during deployment.

See Also

Sources