Deploy Next.js on DCDeploy

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Quick Start: Hello World

1. Create a new Next.js app:
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   npx create-next-app hello-dcdeploy
   cd hello-dcdeploy
   
2. Replace the default page (app/page.tsx for App Router or pages/index.js for Pages Router) with:

export default function Home() {
return (
  <div style={{ 
    display: "flex", 
    alignItems: "center", 
    justifyContent: "center", 
    height: "100vh", 
    fontFamily: "sans-serif" 
  }}>
    <h1>Hello DCDeploy 🚀</h1>
  </div>
)
}

3. Start locally to verify:

npm run dev

4. Commit and push to GitHub/Git provider.
5. Deploy on DCDeploy using the steps in the guide below.

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Overview

• Node.js server mode (next start) for server-side rendering (SSR), API routes, etc.
• Docker-based deployment for custom control.
• Static export for static sites (no server-side features).

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When to Use Each Mode

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Prerequisites

• Next.js project with either App Router or Pages Router.
• package.json scripts:
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  {
    "scripts": {
      "dev": "next dev",
      "build": "next build",
      "start": "next start"
    }
  }
  
• If using Docker, a Dockerfile in your project root.
• GitHub (or other Git) repository to push your project.

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare Your Next.js App

• Choose router type (App Router or Pages Router).
• Ensure dependencies are in package.json.
• If using image optimization (next/image), ensure relevant libs like sharp may be installed.

2. Add Dockerfile (optional but recommended for control)

FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install --production
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["npm", "run", "start"]

3. Push Code to Git

• Initialize Git, commit all files, push to your git provider (GitHub, etc.).
• Include .dockerignore to speed up builds when using Docker.

4. Deploy on DCDeploy

• In DCDeploy dashboard → Deploy tab in your target environment.
• Create a new service → select Docker Registry / Build from Code.
• Provide image or repo + branch.
• Set port to 3000 (common for Next.js) and ensure app listens on 0.0.0.0.
• Select protocol (http / https) and region(s).
• Choose machine type (CPU, RAM) especially if SSR or many API routes.
• Configure environment variables (NEXT_PUBLIC_*, database URLs, etc.).
• Set minScale / maxScale. If your app is dormant at times, you can allow scale‐to‐zero if enabled.
• Deploy and monitor build + deploy logs.

services:
  next-app:
    build:
      context: ./
      dockerfilePath: ./Dockerfile
      repo: your-username/nextjs-app
      ref: main
      refType: branch
      autoBuild: true
    ports:
      - 3000
    protocol: https
    minScale: 1
    maxScale: 2
    environment:
      NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL: https://api.example.com

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Static Export Example

• Run next export or configure Next.js to export static.
• Serve from static hosting or minimal server.
• Dockerfile might look like:

FROM node:18-alpine as builder

WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN npm install
RUN npm run build
RUN npm run export

FROM nginx:alpine
COPY --from=builder /app/out /usr/share/nginx/html

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Best Practices

• Use internal networking for connecting your Next.js app to databases / APIs within DCDeploy instead of making those publicly exposed.
• Enable SSL / custom domain for production.
• Monitor resource usage (CPU, memory), especially if using SSR or Server Components.
• Use caching / ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) wisely for performance.
• Optimize image sizes and bundle sizes.

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Troubleshooting