Node.js tutorial. Are you a Node.js app developer? Well, then most likely you’ll develop a single threaded or single-process based Node application. But deploying such application on a Multi-Process Node.js server will unable you to utilize the app fully. Wondering about the solution? In order to take advantage of multi-core systems, a viable solution is to launch a cluster of Node processes. Put it simply, you can a cluster module to create multiple processes. Well, this will require you to learn how to code using cluster module. Wouldn’t it be better if you could just tell the server to run your app in a multi-cluster way? Certainly it will be very helpful, as it will save you from writing code manually.
An Overview of the ‘clustered-node’ Library
A new node.js open-source library, called as a clustered-node has been developed that will help in creating node.js application in a clustered or multi-process mode. The library makes the job of creating node.js applications a breeze, and don’t necessitate you to learn about the details of how clustering works. The library is available in the form of npm package, and you can access its source on github
Background: Development of the Library
The author of the clustered-node library found that a npm module named ‘multi-node’ already existed, but it was no longer maintained and wasn’t compatible with the updated node.js versions. Since there wasn’t any alternative available to that existing npm module, the clustered-node library was created with the help of the hipache source code. The library was built to make the node.js server multi-process based. The library was later turned into a separate ‘multi-node’ module, and a npm package was created for it, and the library was made available on github.
Why You Should Use the ‘clustered-node’ Library?
After going through the background of the multi-node library, you will most likely assume that the developers of the first ‘multi-node’ npm package were fascinated with the idea of handling the multi-process logic separately, and thought of it as a ready solution; rather than implementing the multi-process logic individually for all applications. However, the other alternative to the ‘multi-node’ npm package that was rendered later in the form of the clustered-node library seems to be more effective.
This library offers an extremely easy-to-use interface that features two simple functions that helps in migrating the existing application to the multi-process node – without the need of any additional effort. Moreover, since you need to design and develop your app as stateless, so as to run it in a multi-clustered mode, the app will prove very beneficial to you when you’ll need to scale it.
How to Install the Npm Package?
If you’re interested in using the newly launched library, and want to install it’s npm package just use the following command:
$npm install clustered-node --save
Understanding How the Library Can be Used
You can use the library by using any one of the two use cases, as follows:
- Multi-Process Server: In case you have a node.js server app, and want to make it multi-process based using the clustered-node library, use the following lines of code:
var server = http.createServer(someCallbackMethod);
require("clustered-node").listen({port:1337, workers:2}, server);
- Multi-Process App: If you’ve a non-server application such as a test-tool or any other app, and want to make it multi-process based then use the code snippet as follows:
function runMyApp() {
//start your application coding starts here
}
require("clustered-node").run(config, runServer);
Considerations to Keep in Mind Before Migration
Looking at the above examples, you may assume that migrating your current app to multi-process based is pretty easy, but there are a few considerations you should keep in your mind, before carrying out the migration. Abiding by the below mentioned key points will help in making the migration process a seamless exercise:
- Is Your Application Stateless: Make sure that you’ve a stateless application, which means that it won’t be storing the session data on its own. But in case your application stores the session data, use db or cache server to perform the migration mechanism.
- Process Are Reasonable: Make the processes synced with all the CPUs on which your server is running. Put it simply, use the processes according to the CPUs used by your server to run.
Improvements Expected In Future
The clustered-node library is a new project and on very early stage. And so, a lot more enhancements need to be made in it. Here are two improvements that are expected to be made in the distant future:
- Unit tests will be added, in order to test each unit of automated functionality.
- Support for several other use cases will be available other than the two discussed as above. For instance, you can expect a use case that will help in the transition of your current application – without even touching it.
Wrapping Up!
If you want to move your Node.js server or application to a multi-process based app, then clustered-node library can help you accomplish your goal. Hopefully, reading this article will provide you with a basic understanding of why you should use the clustered-node library and how it works.
