nestjs-deployment

name	nestjs-deployment
description	Containerize NestJS apps with multi-stage Docker builds, tune Node.js memory, and implement graceful shutdown hooks. Use when writing Dockerfiles, configuring K8s deployments, or adding shutdown hooks for NestJS.
license	MIT
version	1.0.0
author	[Filippo De Silva](https://github.com/FilippoDeSilva)
tags	["nestjs","deployment","docker","kubernetes","helm","shutdown","memory"]
metadata	{"triggers":{"files":["k8s/**","helm/**"],"keywords":["Dockerfile","max-old-space-size","shutdown hooks"]}}

Deployment & Ops Standards

Priority: P1 (OPERATIONAL)

Workflow: Containerize NestJS App

1. Write multi-stage Dockerfile — Build stage installs devDeps and runs nest build; run stage copies only dist and pruned node_modules.
2. Set non-root user — Add USER node to Dockerfile.
3. Tune memory — Set --max-old-space-size to ~75% of container memory limit.
4. Enable shutdown hooks — Call app.enableShutdownHooks() in main.ts.
5. Add K8s pre-stop — Configure 5-10s sleep pre-stop hook for LB draining.

Dockerfile Example

See implementation examples

Runtime Tuning (Node.js)

• Memory Config: Container memory != Node memory.
• Rule: Explicitly set Max Old Space.
• Command: node --max-old-space-size=XXX dist/main
• Calculation: Set to ~75-80% of Kubernetes Limit. (Limit: 1GB -> OldSpace: 800MB).
• Graceful Shutdown:
• Signal: Listen to SIGTERM.
• NestJS: app.enableShutdownHooks() mandatory.
• Sleep: Add "Pre-Stop" sleep in K8s (5-10s) to allow Load Balancer to drain connections before Node process stops accepting traffic.

Init Patterns

• Database Migrations:
• Anti-Pattern: Running migration in main.ts on startup.
• Pro Pattern: Use Init Container in Kubernetes that runs npm run typeorm:migration:run before app container starts.

Environment Variables & CI/CD

• CI/CD Pipelines (GitHub, GitLab, Azure, etc.):
• If you modify src/config/env.validation.ts to add new environment variable, you MUST map it explicitly in your deployment pipeline/infrastructure-as-code.
• Platform Context:
• Cloud Run/ECS: Variables must explicitly passed in service definition.
• Kubernetes: New variables must added to Deployment manifest or ConfigMap/Secret.
• Lambda/Serverless: Must added to serverless.yml or provider console.
• Fundamental Rule: Application code configuration changes "breaking changes" for infrastructure layer. Never assume environment inheritance.

Anti-Patterns

• No migrations in main.ts: Use K8s Init Containers or pre-deploy CI steps for migration runs.
• No root user in Docker: Always add USER node to Dockerfile; running as root security risk.
• No unbounded Node heap: Set --max-old-space-size to ~75% of container memory limit.