Skip to main content

Deploying Care on DigitalOcean

In this guide, we’ll walk you through deploying Care, on DigitalOcean. We’ll keep things simple & you can simply follow along to get your instance up and running. Expect the process to take about an hour, depending on your familiarity with the tools.

Prerequisites​

  • A DigitalOcean account (Sign up here).
  • A fork of the Care backend and frontend repositories.
  • A registered domain name (optional but recommended).
  • Basic familiarity with DigitalOcean's App Platform and Spaces.

What You’ll Be Doing​

We’ll guide you step by step to:

  • Set up a PostgreSQL database for secure data storage.
  • Configure DigitalOcean Spaces for handling files and media.
  • Deploy the Care backend with Redis and Celery for task management.
  • Set up the Care frontend for users to access.
  • Secure the setup with custom domains, API keys, and SSL.
  • Setup a CI/CD Pipeline for Continuous Deployment

Ready to Start?​

Grab a coffee and prepare to bring your Care application to life on DigitalOcean. Let’s dive in! 🌟

Step 1: Create the Database​

  1. Navigate to Databases:

    • Log in to DigitalOcean and go to the Databases section.

  2. Create a PostgreSQL Database:

    • Click Create Database.
    • Choose the following:
      • Region: Select the nearest data center.
      • Engine: PostgreSQL (Version 16).
      • Resources: Select a plan based on your requirements. Navigate to Databases
      • Name: Give your database a unique name.
      • Tags: Add tags for organization. Navigate to Databases Create Database

  3. Save Connection Details:

    • Once the database is created, note the connection URL for later use. Connection String

Step 2: Set Up Object Storage (Spaces)​

  1. Navigate to Spaces:

    • Go to the Spaces section in DigitalOcean.

  2. Create a New Space:

    • Click Create a Space. Create Space
    • Choose:
      • Region: Select the same region as your database.
      • Enable CDN: For faster file delivery.
      • Bucket Name: Enter a unique name.
      • Project: Select the default project.
      • Create: Click to Create a Spaces Bucket create the space. Create Space

  3. Generate API Keys:

    • Go to the API tab and click Spaces Keys.
    • Create a new key pair and save the Key and Secret.

Generate Keys

Step 3: Deploy the Care Backend (BE)​

Step 3.1: Deploy Redis​

  1. Set Up Redis:
    • Go to the App Platform and click Create App. Select App Platform
    • Choose Docker Hub as the source and use:
      • Repository: redis/redis-stack-server.
      • Tag: 6.2.6-v10.
      • Port: Expose 6379 as an internal port.
    • Name the component redis. Select App Platform Edit these fields
  2. Name and Deploy:
    • Name the App care-backend and deploy it. Name and Deploy

Step 3.2: Deploy the Care Backend​

  1. Fork and Clone the Repository:

  2. Set Up the App:

    • Click Create App and choose From Source Code.
    • Select your forked repo and branch.
    • Set the build and run commands: Create Resource from Source Code Select GitHub Repository
      • Build Command: 
        python install_plugins.py && python manage.py collectstatic --noinput && python manage.py compilemessages
      • Run Command: 
        gunicorn config.wsgi:application --workers 2 --bind :9000
      Select GitHub Repository

  3. Environment Variables:

    • Add the following as global environment variables: 
      DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=config.settings.production
      DATABASE_URL=<db-url> # Use the connection URL from Step 1.
      REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
      CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS=["https://care.example.com","http://localhost:4000","http://127.0.0.1:4000"]
      CELERY_BROKER_URL=redis://redis:6379
      REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
      BUCKET_PROVIDER=DIGITAL_OCEAN
      BUCKET_REGION=nyc3 # Use the region of your Spaces.
      BUCKET_KEY= # Use the Spaces key.
      BUCKET_SECRET= # Use the Spaces secret.
      BUCKET_HAS_FINE_ACL=true
      FILE_UPLOAD_BUCKET=example-space-ohc # Use the name of your Space.
      FILE_UPLOAD_BUCKET_ENDPOINT=https://example-space-ohc.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com
      FACILITY_S3_BUCKET=example-space-ohc # Use the name of your Space.
      FACILITY_S3_BUCKET_ENDPOINT=https://example-space-ohc.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com
      JWKS_BASE64= # Add your JWKS key. (Refer to the next section to create one.)
      DISABLE_COLLECTSTATIC=1

Generate JWKS Key​

Generating JWKS...

  1. Expose Ports:
    • Expose 9000 for public HTTP access.

Step 3.3: Add a Domain for the Backend​

  1. Configure Domain:

    • Go to the app settings and add your domain (e.g., care-api.example.com).

    • Update your DNS provider with the CNAME record.

      Add Domain

Step 3.4: Set Up Celery Worker and Beat​

  1. Celery Worker:
    • Create a new component in the app.
    • Use:
      • Run Command: 
        celery --app=config.celery_app worker --max-tasks-per-child=2 --concurrency=2 --loglevel=DEBUG --logfile stdout
      Celery Worker Celery Worker
  2. Celery Beat:
    • Create another component with:
      • Run Command: 
        python manage.py migrate
      Celery Job Celery Job

Step 4: Deploy the Care Frontend (FE)​

  1. Fork the Frontend Repo:

  2. Set Up the App:

    • Click Create App and configure:
      • Type: Static Site.
      • Build Command: npm run build.
      • Environment Variable: 
        REACT_CARE_API_URL=https://care-api.example.com
      • Output Directory: Auto.

  3. Add Domain:

    • Go to app settings and add the frontend domain (e.g., care.example.com).

      Frontend Setup Celery Job Celery Job

Step 5: Secure Database Access​

  1. Restrict Access:

    • Navigate to the Database settings.

    • Add the Care backend app as a trusted source.

      Secure Database

Step 6: Configure CORS for Spaces​

  1. Go to Bucket Settings:

    • Open your bucket in Spaces.

    • Add the following CORS configuration:

      [
        {
          "AllowedHeaders": ["*"],
          "AllowedMethods": ["GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE"],
          "AllowedOrigins": ["https://example.com"],
          "ExposeHeaders": []
        }
      ]

      CORS

Final Steps​

  • Verify Deployment:

    • Test the backend and frontend by accessing the respective domains.
    • Ensure all components (Redis, Celery Worker, Beat) are running.

  • Optimize Security:

    • Use SSL certificates (e.g., Let’s Encrypt) to enable HTTPS.

    • Configure firewall rules to restrict access.

      Care Infra

Conclusion​

You’ve successfully deployed the Care application on DigitalOcean! With the database, object storage, backend, and frontend configured, your application is ready for use. 🚀

For troubleshooting, feel free to join our Community on Slack at slack.ohc.network; You may also refer to the official DigitalOcean Documentation for anything question about Digital Ocean