I'm working on a Node.js application hosted on Google Cloud, using Google Application Engine. The app has a few settings like the following:
const TASK_BATCH_SIZE = 50;
Currently, every time we need to change some settings like that one to do some tests we need to re-deploy the app, and that happens very often. We are looking for some alternatives inside the Google Cloud ecosystem that allows us to configure our running services without needing to re-deploy.
One of the things we found in the docs was Runtime Configurator, which still seems to be a beta product. For Node.js specifically nodejs-rcloadenv is the only client library we found, but doesn't seem to support the Watcher / Waiter concepts described in the Runtime Configurator docs or any other way to subscribe to variable changes in a configuration resource.
Is Runtime Configurator the solution to our problem? Are there any other services inside the Google Cloud ecosystem, or any other library for Node.js that could help us with this?
If you want to update or to make some settings changes in the service, you need to re-delpoy the service.
You can't use Runtime Configurator as it's for Compute Engine and not for App Engine.
You can create a feature request on Google's Public Issue Tracker for your issue ( to update configurations without re-deploying the service).
Related
I'm building a static web app using React. Does Azure offer a service that allows one to embed a function into my Javascript code that loads a small value into clients' browsers. The values are not in the code, but controlled via the Azure UI.
That is, in the portal I'd create some configuration that states value = 1 and then I'd add Javascript code like if (azure_switch('app/value')) == '1' {...} to my app.
My goal is to have kill switch for portions of the App that could be controlled without pushing code changes. For my simple kill switch, I could build my own using app configurations and a new Azure function, but I'm curious if something like this already exists.
Also, if the function in the browser was context aware, it could also be used to control rollouts, or so that developers see a newer version of certain features.
Application settings: are available as environment variables to the backend API of a static web app.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/static-web-apps/application-settings
I'm starting to wonder whether this is the right tool for the job, still here goes.
I'm attempting to automate the creation of our Azure Test environment using Azure SDK for JS. The environment spans many services (as you can imagine), including Classic ASP.NET app services.
Node is my safe space, so that is why I started with the JS SDK.
I have started scripting the creation of an app service using WebSiteManagementClient.webApps.createOrUpdate. I'm confused though, there is seemingly no way to configure any of the following:
Which app service plan the app service should be connected to. This feels fundamental.
The operating system, Windows or Linux.
The stack version, .NET 4.8, .NET Core, or whatever.
Is it possible to configure the above using the JS SDK, or am I going to have find another approach?
Update 23/03/21
Untested, but these are my findings so far:
App Service Plan - The plan is set using the serverFarmId property of the Site interface.
Operating system - Assuming Windows as the default, if you want a Linux app service, you change the kind property of Site from app, to app,linux.
Stack & version - In the SiteConfig interface, you have linuxFxVersion and windowsFxVersion. Again, I think the assumption is 'latest .NET' (e.g. .NET 4.8). For .NET Core 3.1, the setting looks to be DOTNETCORE|3.1.
It can be achieved using js SDK. I checked the source code and it is ok. But I don't recommend to use js sdk to do this.
Because you need to call the SDK, there are many internal logics that you need to code. This will waste a lot of your time. So I recommend you to use restapi.
The restapi method name is similar to the naming in the SDK, mainly because you can test api interfaces online to achieve the functions you want. So you can selectively choose the method you want to achieve the function you want.
Official doc
Web Apps - Create Or Update
As for your concerns, you only need to write all the configuration in json format and put it in the request body.
Tips:
First use the online interface, encode the json format, create a webapp according to your needs, and then integrate it into your code.
I been working on a React project using firebase auth and cloud firestore as the database and I been reading the official documents. But I am grappling with the idea of whether to use mobile/web SDKs and server client libraries and I am afraid I might have some misconceptions about Cloud Firestore Security Rules.
I read this page https://firebase.google.com/docs/firestore/client/libraries several times and it is about SDKs and client libraries for firestore. It seems to me that it suggests there are two ways of using firestore: one is through Mobile and web SDKs and one is through Server client libraries. And if I am using Mobile and web SDKs then my project would be classified as serverless since I am only building the front end and let Goole to handle the database and user authentication. The other way to use firestore, which is Server client libraries, it seems like it is meant to be used with your own server. It then refers to this as client libraries in the section, But the thing I don't quite understand is, what does client mean here? I'm sure it doesn't mean the same thing as in "the mobile and web SDKs support serverless app architectures where clients connect directly to your Cloud Firestore database.", where I assume a client is an end user who is browsing your website or web app. So what does this the client mean as in Server client libraries?
Since I am only able to build front end app or the client side app, I guess I should go with Mobile and web SDKs option to start using the firebase. Here comes the second question, when selecting a starting mode for my Cloud Firestore Security Rules, there are two modes: Test mode
and Locked mode. For Test mode, it says "Good for getting started with the mobile and web client libraries, but allows anyone to read and overwrite your data. After testing, make sure to review the Secure your data section.". My first confusion is, does client libraries refer to the Server client libraries previously I mentioned? If so, as a serverless project without a server I cannot technically I cannot choose this mode? Then for Locked mode it says, "Denies all reads and writes from mobile and web clients. Your authenticated application servers (C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, or Ruby) can still access your database." Again this option seems like it is not for me since it mentioned Your authenticated application servers, and for my project I don't have a server, or the server is on the google cloud platform. So can someone please correct me if I am understanding this wrong. Also, if I opt-in the Test mode, I suppose it allows anyone to read and overwrite my data. But I feel like there needs more explanation on the word anyone here. I think at least the person needs to have the exact firebase configuration as my project has. something like this
const config = {
apiKey: "myapikey",
authDomain: "my-auth-domain.firebaseapp.com",
databaseURL: "my-db-url.com",
projectId: "my-pid",
storageBucket: "my-storage-bucket",
messagingSenderId: "my-sender-id",
};
to access my database. I think by anyone, here it means anyone with this config file and doesn't need to log in to my project in order to mess with my database. This is my understanding, can someone please correct me? Finally, in my case, I just want that anyone who can log in to my project can have access to the database(both read and write). Which mode(test or locked) should I go with? Or I need more configuration for this?
Is it true that whether I choose web SDKs or Server client libraries to start my firestore project, I all need to use firebase-admin? But do I need to use Firebase CLI to init my project as a firebase project with the automatically generated firebase.json?
The official documents constantly use the word web and node.js, such as this image. . I actually don't know what they exactly mean. If I am writing React, should I go with web or node.js? If it belongs to web, I am importing stuff like import firebase from "firebase/app"; in my react project, these are also modules for Node.js. Again I am confused here.
I know this might be too long to read and the questions might be a bit trivial but I really appreciate if someone could clear up my confusion about firebase.
As far as I know, Here are the answers to your questions:
1) So what does this the client mean as in Server client libraries?
Server client libraries are used to access Firebase from servers which run on Java, Python, Go etc.
2) Which mode(test or locked) should I go with? Or I need more
configuration for this?
Test mode opens your database to the public which means any user can access your database without authenication.
Locked mode keeps your database locked down by default. You can then add rules to grant access to certain read or writes.
I would recommend to start out the project with this and later configure firestore security rules to open up access to your database according to your application's requirements. You can find references here : https://fireship.io/snippets/firestore-rules-recipes/
3) Is it true that whether I choose web SDKs or Server client libraries
to start my firestore project, I need to use firebase-admin? But do I
need to use Firebase CLI to init my project as a firebase project with
the automatically generated firebase.json?
firebase-admin available on npm is the Firebase Admin Node.js SDK to access your firebase database with admin privileges. This can be useful when you initialize/access the application specific configurations and parameters in your database.
You don't need Firebase command-line to initialize your firebase project and generate the firebase config file. You can access it through Firebase console of your project once you create your project in firebase. Reference : https://support.google.com/firebase/answer/7015592?hl=en
4) If I am writing React, should I go with web or node.js?
You should go with Web because node.js SDK is used for access to your Firebase services from privileged environments (such as servers or cloud) in Node.js.
Reference: https://www.npmjs.com/package/firebase
Additional Point: Found this for React in the Google's documentation for FIrebase SDKs. https://github.com/tylermcginnis/re-base
Hope its clearer now.
It's possible to install Application Insights via the extensions section in Azure App Services, but it's also possible to just install the packages via NuGet and define the APPINSIGHTS_INSTRUMENTATIONKEY application setting. You can also do both.
What is the difference?
Edit:
I have found what the differences are between installing the extension or the NuGet packages:
You can configure monitoring by instrumenting the app in either of two ways:
Run-time - You can select a performance monitoring extension when your web app is already live. It isn't necessary to rebuild or re-install your app. You get a standard set of packages that monitor response times, success rates, exceptions, dependencies, and so on.
Build time - You can install a package in your app in development. This option is more versatile. In addition to the same standard packages, you can write code to customize the telemetry or to send your own telemetry. You can log specific activities or record events according to the semantics of your app domain.
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-insights/app-insights-azure-web-apps#run-time-or-build-time
But what if you do both? Will there be anything beneficial about it?
But what if you do both? Will there be anything beneficial about it?
The extension detects that your app has already brought Application Insights with it and won't do anything, except dropping a profiler, which helps collect full SQL Statement in Dependencies. Without the profiler full SQL Statement won't be collected but everything else should just work fine.
(If you are using 2.3.0 or earlier of SDK or if you application is targeting old .NET Framework like 4.0, then profiler does better correlation of dependencies as well.
In short, Starting with 2.4.0 of SDK, the only advantage of installing extension on top on nuget installation is to get full SQL Statements in Dependency Telemetry.
But what if you do both? Will there be anything beneficial about it?
As you know we could install the packages via NuGet to use Application Insights .For this way, we could add custom telemetry data in my code,and monitor the telemetry data in application insights tools in Visual Studio. This will be very convenient. You could also refer to this article to add custom telemetry data.
Code in MVC Porject:
public ActionResult Index()
{
Trace.TraceInformation("my trace info Home/Index");
var telemetry = new Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.TelemetryClient();
RequestTelemetry requestTelemetry = new RequestTelemetry();
telemetry.TrackTrace("Home/Index Main");
telemetry.TrackPageView("Home/Index");
return View();
}
The telemetry data in Application insight tool:
The application insights in App Service,you can only see limited data and trends in past 24 hours. This is very convenient for you to view the main telemetry data in the app service directly. But if you want to know more details, that is not a good choose.
The most comprehensive monitor data and services are in application insight service. You could click 'View more in application insights' in App Service monitor extension to go. Or you could go to application insight service directly.
Time Range in application insight service(include custom time range).
I am using Google App Engine to run my NodeJS app on flexible env, now i wanted to generate FlameGraph but the thing is as App Engine itself handle scaling and deploying of instances now can anyone please tell me how can i generate Flamegraph(NodeJs Profiling) to trace Requests coming on my NodeJs server.
If anyone of you has worked on Google App Engine on any Framework(NodeJs or any other), Can you all please tell me how did you solve this kind of problem on App Engine.
Update -
Why We need to delete the instance after debugging it.
Flame graphs are a visualization of profiled software, allowing the
most frequent code-paths to be identified quickly and accurately.
So FlameGraphs have nothing to do with networking, scaling or deploying to GCP.
Anyhow, FlameGraph is a just a 3rd party tool you can install and run. So the answer is you can make it work same way you would install and run on your local computer.
If you don't know how to use FlameGraph to profile NodeJS, then you should start reading some tutorials, as this site is not for that type of questions. A good one is here: https://nodejs.org/en/blog/uncategorized/profiling-node-js/
UPDATE: How to ssh into app engine flex instance
In google cloud console go to App Engine Flex -> Instances