Node.js PM2

Introduction to PM2

PM2 is a popular Node.js process manager that comes with built-in load balancing, process monitoring, and process management features. It is designed to make application deployment easier and more efficient, ensuring that your Node.js applications are always running smoothly.

Installing PM2

To get started with PM2, you first need to install it globally. This can be done using npm:

Starting a Node.js Application with PM2

Once PM2 is installed, starting a Node.js application is straightforward. PM2 will manage the application processes, restart them if they crash, and provide monitoring information. Here is a basic example of starting an application:

Clustering with PM2

PM2 can run multiple instances of your application across all available CPU cores using clustering. This helps in optimizing resource usage and improving application performance. To enable clustering, you can use the following command:

The -i flag specifies the number of instances to start. Using max will start as many instances as there are CPU cores.

Monitoring Applications with PM2

PM2 provides a real-time dashboard for monitoring applications. You can view the status, CPU, and memory usage of your applications with the following command:

Managing Process Logs

PM2 also simplifies log management by aggregating logs from all application instances. You can view logs using:

Conclusion

PM2 is a robust tool for managing Node.js applications, offering features like process management, clustering, and monitoring. By integrating PM2 into your deployment workflow, you can ensure high availability and performance of your applications.