How To Install Node.js Using Windows Azure Platform

If you’re new to Azure, I recommend reading Introduction to Microsoft Azure, to learn from this article.

If you don’t have an Azure account, click here to get an account free of cost.

What is Node.js?

Node.js was developed by Ryan Dahl. Node.js is a platform which is developed using Chrome’s JavaScript runtime, for developing interactive JavaScript applications. Node.js is deployed on the server-side environment.

Node.js is a lightweight tool for developing platform-independent applications which are used on operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.

Formation of Node.js is

Node.js = Runtime Environment + JavaScript Library

Who uses Node.js?

Node.js is an interacting platform used by the following organizations to build projects and applications for their companies or organizations.

Microsoft Enterprise Social Network called Yammer
eBay
General Electric
GoDaddy
Microsoft
PayPal
Uber
Wikipedia

To know more about Node.js projects and applications, click at this juncture.

Where to use Node.js

Node.js platform is used in the following areas.

For developing input/output bound applications
Data streaming applications
JSON based interactive applications
Single page applications - like Angular
Real-time applications

Requirements

Only one thing is required to create a Node.js application, using Azure.

Azure Account

Let’s get started

Now, it’s time to create and configure Node.js using Azure portal. So, follow the steps one by one.

Log into Microsoft Azure account.

Now, click “+” (New) and search for Node.js from the Azure marketplace.

You will be navigated to the marketplace. Here, select Node.js whose publisher must be Bitnami.

Carefully read the Node.js description and click “Create”. You will land on the Node.js Creation Wizard. We need to create a Node.js via Virtual Machine creation wizard.

Configuring basic settings

The following are the attributes that should be filled to create Node.js Virtual Machine.

Provide the name for your Node.js VM.
Select “VM disk type” as “SSD”.
Enter username for your Virtual Machine.
Select Authentication type as Password.
Enter Password and retype password.
Select your subscription. Some of the subscription levels are Azure Pass, Free Trial, DreamSpark, Visual Studio Enterprise, and so on.
Create or select your existing resource group in which your VM is deployed.
Select your location.

Finally, click OK to process the basic configuration settings.

Choose Virtual Machine Size

Based on your needs, select Virtual Machine size. Here, my VM size is “F1S standard” and configuration is “1 core, 2GB RAM, load balancing”. After this, click Select.

Configuring Optional features

This module mainly deals with storage and network. This level automatically creates whatever things are needed to run this Virtual Machine. You just click “OK”.

Summary

Summary module is used for reviewing changes. It displays information about basic configuration and optional features. Once validation is passed, click OK.

Purchase

Now, in Purchase window, carefully read the license agreement and cost of the Virtual Machine. Then, click Purchase. Here, we are purchasing Azure resource “Node.js”.

Everything is done! So, Azure Management Portal starts creating Virtual Machine and configuring Node.js. Usually, this process may take up to 5 minutes. So, don’t go anywhere, stick to the Azure Portal for deployment status.

Once our Node.js template is provisioning in a Virtual Machine, you will be able to see an overview of the VM you created. Then, click "Connect" option available on your Azure Management Portal.

The "Connect" popup appears. From there, copy the IP address and paste on a web browser. Hit Enter.

Congrats! We have successfully configured Node.js in Azure portal.

“You are now running Bitnami Node.js 6.9.1-0 in the Microsoft cloud”.

Summary

So, this was how we can build Node.js on the Microsoft Azure Portal. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.