Plan for hosting the Flask web app

Thursday. February 22, 2024 - 4 mins

Purpose

The purpose for this article is to inform anyone who is looking to setup staging and production enviornmnets for a web app. In this case I will be pu– STILL EDITING POST

Prerequisites

steps to host a Flask app on a Linux VM in Azure for staging and production environments:

Create a Linux VM in Azure: You can create a Linux VM in Azure using the Azure portal1 or the Azure CLI1. This involves specifying details like the subscription, resource group, VM name, image, size, and authentication method1.

Connect to the VM: The most common method for accessing the VM is through the Secure Shell Protocol (SSH)1. You can use any standard SSH client commonly found in Linux and Windows, or you can use Azure Cloud Shell from any browser1.

Clone Your Flask Application: If you already have a Flask project on a Git Repository, clone your application into the VM2. Install Python and Flask: You’ll need to install Python and Flask on your VM. You can do this using the package manager of your Linux distribution2.

Configure the Application for Staging and Production: You’ll need to configure your Flask application for both staging and production environments. This typically involves setting environment variables, configuring the database, and setting up any other services your application depends on3.

Run the Application: You can run your Flask application using a WSGI server like Gunicorn or uWSGI3. For production environments, you’ll also want to set up a reverse proxy like Nginx or Apache to handle static files and manage connections3.

Automate Deployment: For a smooth CI/CD pipeline, you might want to automate the deployment process. This could involve setting up a Jenkins server, or using a service like Azure Pipelines3.

Connecting

Once the VM is created, connect to it using SSH (for Linux) or Remote Desktop (for Windows).

Use a terminal (for Linux) or Remote Desktop Connection (for Windows) to establish the connection.

#Install Python Update the package repository (for Linux):

sudo apt update   # for Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum update   # for CentOS/RHEL

Install Python (version 3.x):

sudo apt install python3   # for Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum install python3   # for CentOS/RHEL

Verify the installation:

python3 --version

Install Pip

Pip is a package manager for Python that allows you to install additional libraries and dependencies.

sudo apt install python3-pip   # for Ubuntu/Debian
sudo yum install python3-pip   # for CentOS/RHEL

Verify the installation:

pip3 --version

Install Flask:

Use pip to install Flask, the Python web framework:

pip3 install Flask

Install Additional Dependencies:

Depending on the requirements of your Flask web application, you may need to install additional dependencies such as database drivers, Flask extensions, or other libraries. Use pip to install these dependencies as needed.

Copy Your Flask Application Code:

Copy your Flask application code to the virtual machine. You can use SCP (for Linux) or FileZilla (for Windows) to transfer files between your local machine and the virtual machine.

Configure Your Flask Application:

Modify any configuration files (e.g., config.py) as necessary to specify settings such as database connection strings, application secret keys, and other parameters.

Run Your Flask Application:

Navigate to the directory containing your Flask application code. Use the flask run command to start the Flask development server:

flask run --host=0.0.0.0

Flask application should now be running and accessible from the public IP address of your virtual machine.

Set Up Nginx or Apache (Optional):

For production deployments, consider setting up a reverse proxy server like Nginx or Apache to handle incoming HTTP requests and serve static files. Configure the reverse proxy to forward requests to your Flask application running on a specific port.

Secure Your Virtual Machine:

Ensure that your virtual machine is secure by following best practices such as disabling unnecessary ports, configuring a firewall, enabling automatic security updates, and implementing strong authentication mechanisms.

Monitoring and Maintenance:

Set up monitoring and logging for your virtual machine to track performance metrics, errors, and other relevant information. Regularly monitor and maintain your virtual machine to ensure optimal performance and security.

Signing Off

Thank you all.

Best regards, Tyler

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