Node.js CI/CD Deployment Pipeline using Terraform + Ansible + GitHub Actions

🚀 A fully automated deployment pipeline that provisions an AWS EC2 instance, configures it, and deploys a Node.js app using:

• Terraform: For infrastructure provisioning on AWS
• Ansible: For configuration management and app deploy
• GitHub Actions: To automate the full process on every push

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🧩 What This Does

This project automates the following:

1. Provisions an AWS EC2 instance via Terraform
2. Configures the server and installs dependencies via Ansible
3. Deploys your Node.js application automatically
4. Prints the public URL in GitHub Actions logs after successful deployment

All without ever touching the AWS Console manually.

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📁 Project Structure

nodejs-deploy/
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/
│       └── deploy.yml          # GitHub Actions workflow
├── ansible/
│   ├── inventory.ini.template  # Template for dynamic Ansible inventory
│   ├── node_service.yml        # Main Ansible playbook
│   └── roles/
│       └── app/
│           └── tasks/
│               └── main.yml    # Tasks: install Node.js, clone repo, start app
├── terraform/
│   └── main.tf                 # Terraform AWS setup
├── app/
│   ├── index.js                # Simple "Hello World" Node.js app
│   └── package.json            # App metadata and dependencies
└── README.md                   # You are here!

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🔐 Required GitHub Secrets

You must set these secrets in your GitHub repository settings under Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions

Secret Name	Description
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID	Your AWS IAM user access key ID
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY	Your AWS IAM secret access key
SSH_PRIVATE_KEY	Private SSH key used to connect to EC2
KEY_NAME	The name of the SSH key pair uploaded to AWS
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION	Region where resources will be created (e.g., us-east-1)

⚠️ Never hardcode these values in your code — always use GitHub Secrets.

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🚀 How It Works

Step 1: Push Code to GitHub

When you push to the main branch, GitHub Actions is triggered.

Step 2: Terraform Creates Infrastructure

• Spins up a new EC2 instance in AWS
• Opens ports 22 (SSH) and 80 (HTTP)
• Outputs public IP address

Step 3: Ansible Deploys the App

• Installs Git and Node.js
• Clones your app repo
• Runs npm install and starts the app

Step 4: Public URL Displayed

After deployment, the public IP is printed in logs like this:

🌐 Access your app at: http://54.89.123.45

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🛠️ How to Use This Pipeline

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO.git
cd YOUR_REPO

2. Set Up GitHub Secrets

Go to your repo on GitHub → Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions

Add the following secrets:

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID = <your-key-here>
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY = <your-secret-here>
SSH_PRIVATE_KEY = <your-private-key>
KEY_NAME = mykey
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION = us-east-1

Make sure your private key starts with -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
And ends with -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

3. Push to main Branch

Make any small change or run:

git add .
git commit -m "Trigger GitHub Action"
git push origin main

4. Watch the Workflow Run

Go to the Actions tab in GitHub. You'll see the workflow running.

After success, look for the output:

🌐 Access your app at: http://<INSTANCE_IP>

Paste the IP into your browser and see your app live!

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💡 Tips for Success

• ✅ Always test locally before pushing to GitHub
• 🧪 Use terraform destroy to clean up AWS resources when done
• 📦 Extend with PM2 or systemd for production-ready apps
• 🔄 Reuse this pipeline for other services or environments

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🧩 Optional Enhancements

Feature	Why Add It
Auto-cleanup (terraform destroy)	Save costs by cleaning up test servers
Nginx reverse proxy	Better HTTP handling and routing
PM2 process manager	Keep Node.js app running
Custom Domain	Replace IP with a real domain
Health Check	Ensure app responds after deploy
Slack Alerts	Get notified on deployment status

👥 Contributing

Feel free to contribute or extend this pipeline:

• Add support for GCP/Azure
• Improve logging and debugging
• Add rollback logic
• Support multiple environments

Just open a PR! 😊