Deploy AWS User Management Application on Windows Server

Deploying the AWS User Management Application on Windows Server 2025

ℹ️ Information: This guide walks you through deploying a Node.js-based user management application on Windows Server 2025. The application uses Express.js as the web framework, Handlebars for templating, and MySQL for data storage, providing a complete CRUD interface for managing AWS user information.

Setting Up the Node.js Project

1. Initialize the Node.js project using NPM (Node Package Manager):

   npm init
   

   

2. Complete the application configuration by providing the requested information:

   • Package name
   • Version
   • Description
   • Entry point (app.js)
   • Other project metadata

   

Installing Required Dependencies

3. Install the necessary Node.js packages for the application:

   npm install express dotenv express-handlebars body-parser mysql
   

   These packages provide the following functionality:

   • express: Web application framework
   • dotenv: Environment variable management
   • express-handlebars: Templating engine
   • body-parser: Request body parsing middleware
   • mysql: MySQL database connector

   

! If high severity vulnerabilities (x high severity vulnerabilities) still remain after running npm update and npm audit fix, it is recommended to remove and reinstall nodemon using the latest version:

• Remove the current nodemon package: npm uninstall nodemon

• Install the latest version of nodemon as a development dependency: npm install nodemon@latest --save-dev

• (Optional) Verify vulnerabilities again: npm audit

Configuring Database Connection

4. Open the project in Visual Studio Code and create a .env file to store database configuration:

   DB_HOST=localhost
   DB_NAME=awsuser
   DB_USER=root
   DB_PASS=
   

🔒 Security Note: For production environments, avoid using the root database user. Instead, create a dedicated database user with limited permissions specific to the application’s needs. The root account should be reserved exclusively for database administration tasks.

Running the Application

5. Start the application server:

   npm start
   

   

6. Access the application by opening a web browser and navigating to: http://localhost:5000

   

Testing CRUD Functionality

7. Add a new user by completing the form with user information:

   • First Name
   • Last Name
   • Email
   • Phone
   • Comments (optional)

   

8. View the updated user list in the application interface:

   

💡 Pro Tip: For a production deployment, consider configuring Windows Firewall to allow inbound traffic on port 5000, or set up a reverse proxy using IIS to forward requests from port 80 to your Node.js application.