Deploying a Keystone.js Application using AWS Lambda

Keystone.js is a popular Node.js framework for building database-driven applications. AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers. In this article, we will explore how to deploy a Keystone.js application using AWS Lambda.

Prerequisites

To deploy a Keystone.js application using AWS Lambda, you will need the following:

• A Keystone.js application set up and running locally
• An AWS account with the necessary permissions to create and manage Lambda functions
• The AWS CLI installed and configured on your machine
• A code editor or IDE of your choice

Step 1: Prepare Your Keystone.js Application

Before deploying your Keystone.js application to AWS Lambda, you need to make sure it is set up and running correctly locally. This includes configuring your database, setting up authentication and authorization, and testing your application to ensure it is working as expected.

Once your application is set up and running locally, you need to make some changes to prepare it for deployment to AWS Lambda. This includes:

• Updating your Keystone.js configuration to use environment variables for sensitive information such as database credentials
• Configuring your application to use a serverless-friendly database such as AWS Aurora or DynamoDB
• Updating your application code to handle the serverless environment and cold starts

Updating Keystone.js Configuration

To update your Keystone.js configuration to use environment variables, you can modify your `keystone.js` file to use the `process.env` object to access environment variables.

const keystone = require('@keystonejs/keystone');

const config = {
  // ...
  db: {
    adapter: 'mongoose',
    url: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
  },
  // ...
};

keystone.init(config);

Configuring Serverless-Friendly Database

To configure your application to use a serverless-friendly database, you can update your `keystone.js` file to use a database adapter that supports serverless environments.

const keystone = require('@keystonejs/keystone');

const config = {
  // ...
  db: {
    adapter: 'aws-dynamodb',
    url: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
  },
  // ...
};

keystone.init(config);

Step 2: Create an AWS Lambda Function

To create an AWS Lambda function, you can use the AWS CLI or the AWS Management Console.

Using the AWS CLI, you can create a new Lambda function using the following command:

aws lambda create-function --function-name my-keystone-app --runtime nodejs14.x --handler index.handler --role execution-role --zip-file fileb://path/to/your/zip/file.zip

Using the AWS Management Console, you can create a new Lambda function by navigating to the Lambda dashboard and clicking on the "Create function" button.

Configuring Lambda Function

Once you have created your Lambda function, you need to configure it to run your Keystone.js application.

This includes updating the handler to point to your Keystone.js application code, and configuring the environment variables to match your Keystone.js configuration.

{
  "FunctionName": "my-keystone-app",
  "Runtime": "nodejs14.x",
  "Handler": "index.handler",
  "Role": "execution-role",
  "Environment": {
    "Variables": {
      "DATABASE_URL": "your-database-url"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Deploy Your Keystone.js Application

Once you have configured your Lambda function, you can deploy your Keystone.js application by updating the code and environment variables.

Using the AWS CLI, you can update the code and environment variables using the following command:

aws lambda update-function-code --function-name my-keystone-app --zip-file fileb://path/to/your/zip/file.zip

Using the AWS Management Console, you can update the code and environment variables by navigating to the Lambda dashboard and clicking on the "Update function code" button.

Conclusion

Deploying a Keystone.js application using AWS Lambda requires some changes to your application code and configuration. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can deploy your Keystone.js application to AWS Lambda and take advantage of the benefits of serverless computing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Keystone.js?

A: Keystone.js is a popular Node.js framework for building database-driven applications.

Q: What is AWS Lambda?

A: AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers.

Q: How do I deploy a Keystone.js application to AWS Lambda?

A: To deploy a Keystone.js application to AWS Lambda, you need to prepare your application, create an AWS Lambda function, and deploy your application code and environment variables.

Q: What changes do I need to make to my Keystone.js application to deploy it to AWS Lambda?

A: You need to update your Keystone.js configuration to use environment variables, configure your application to use a serverless-friendly database, and update your application code to handle the serverless environment and cold starts.

Q: How do I configure my AWS Lambda function to run my Keystone.js application?

A: You need to update the handler to point to your Keystone.js application code, and configure the environment variables to match your Keystone.js configuration.