Introduction to Dokku Deployer

Dokku is an open-source Platform as a Service (PaaS) that helps developers deploy, manage, and scale applications. It simplifies the deployment process by leveraging Git and Docker. In this article, we will explore the `dokku-deployer` tool, including its functionality and various API endpoints. We’ll walk through practical examples demonstrating how to effectively use these APIs for app deployment.

Getting Started with Dokku

To begin with Dokku, you need to have Docker installed on your server. Once Docker is ready, you can install Dokku using the instructions from the official Dokku documentation.

API Endpoints and Examples

1. Creating an Application

The first step in deploying an app with Dokku is to create a new application. This can be done using the following API:

  
    $ dokku apps:create my-app
  

2. Deploying an App

Dokku uses Git for deploying applications. After creating an app, you can deploy your code by pushing it to the Dokku remote:

  
    $ git remote add dokku dokku@your-server:my-app
    $ git push dokku main
  

3. Managing Domains

You can set a domain name for your application using the following command:

  
    $ dokku domains:add my-app example.com
  

4. Configuring Environment Variables

Environment variables can be set using the config API:

  
    $ dokku config:set my-app DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:password@hostname/dbname
  

5. Scaling Applications

To scale your application, you can specify the number of processes that should run for each process type:

  
    $ dokku ps:scale my-app web=2 worker=1
  

6. Viewing Logs

Check the logs for your application using the following command:

  
    $ dokku logs my-app
  

7. Managing SSL

Setting up SSL for secure HTTP traffic can be easily done using the letsencrypt plugin:

  
    $ dokku letsencrypt my-app
  

8. Removing an App

If you need to delete an application, you can do so with the following command:

  
    $ dokku apps:destroy my-app
  

Example Application Deployment

Let’s deploy a simple Node.js application using the above APIs. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Create the App

  
    $ dokku apps:create node-app
  

Step 2: Add Remote and Deploy

  
    $ git remote add dokku dokku@your-server:node-app
    $ git push dokku main
  

Step 3: Set Domain

  
    $ dokku domains:add node-app my-node-app.example.com
  

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

  
    $ dokku config:set node-app NODE_ENV=production
  

Step 5: Scale the App

  
    $ dokku ps:scale node-app web=2
  

Step 6: Enable SSL

  
    $ dokku letsencrypt node-app
  

That’s it! You have successfully deployed a Node.js application using Dokku.

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