Node server, socket, request and response timeouts - node.js

Question

Problem
Node's default configuration timeouts requests after 2 minutes. I would like to change the request timeouts to:
1 minute for 'normal' requests
5 minutes for requests that serve static files (big assets in this case)
8 hours for uploads (couple of thousand pictures per request)
Research
Reading through Node's documentation, I've discovered that there are numerous ways of defining timeouts.
server.setTimeout
socket.setTimeout
request.setTimeout
response.setTimeout
I'm using Express which also provides middleware to define timeout's for (specific) routes. I've tried that, without success.
Question
I'm confused about how to properly configure the timeout limit globally and per route. Should I configure all of the above timeouts? How is setting the server's timeout different to setting the socket's or request's timeout?

Answer 1

As I saw on your other question concerning the usage of the timeout middleware, you are using it somehow differently.
See documentation of timeout-connect middleware.
Add your errorHandler-function as an EventListener to the request, as it is an EventEmitter and the middleware causes it to emit the timeout-event:
req.on("timeout", function (evt) {
if (req.timedout) {
if (!res.headersSent) {
res
.status(408)
.send({
success: true,
message: 'Timeout error'
});
}
}
});
This is called outside of the middleware stack, causing the function call to next(err) to be invalid. Also, you have to keep in mind, that if the timeout happens while the request is hanging server-side, you have to prevent your server code from further processing this request (because headers are already sent and its underlying connection will no longer be available).

Answer 2

Summary
nodejs timeout API are all inactivity timeout
expressjs/timeout package is response hard timeout
nodejs timeout API
server.timeout
inactivity/idle timeout
equal to socket timeout
default 2min
server.setTimeout
inactivity/idle timeout
equal to socket timeout
default 2min
have callback
socket.setTimeout
inactivity/idle timeout
callback responsible to end(), destroy() socket
default no timeout
response.setTimeout
socket.setTimeout front end
request.setTimeout
socket.setTimeout front end
expressjs/timeout package
response hard-timeout (vs inactivity)
have callback
Conclusion
max. time allowed for an action(request+response), express/timeout package is needed.
This is properly what you need, but the callback need to end the request/response. As the timeout only trigger the callback, it does not change the state or interfere with the connection. It is the callback job.
idle timeout, set nodejs api request/response timeout
I don't recommend touching these, as it is not necessary in most cases. Unless you want to allow a connection to idle(no traffic) over 2min.

Answer 3

There is already a Connect Middleware for Timeout support. You can try this middleware.
var timeout = express.timeout // express v3 and below
var timeout = require('connect-timeout'); //express v4
app.use(timeout(120000)); // should be changed with your desire time
app.use(haltOnTimedout);
function haltOnTimedout(req, res, next){
if (!req.timedout) next();
}