Deploying a Full Stack Java Application with Docker and Kubernetes

 In today’s fast-paced software development world, deploying full stack applications efficiently and reliably is crucial. Docker and Kubernetes have become the go-to tools for containerization and orchestration, respectively. Leveraging these technologies can simplify deployment, improve scalability, and enhance application management for full stack Java applications. This blog explains how to deploy a full stack Java application using Docker and Kubernetes.


Why Docker and Kubernetes?

Docker allows you to package your application and its dependencies into a lightweight, portable container. This ensures that your app runs consistently across different environments—whether on a developer’s laptop, a testing server, or a cloud platform. Kubernetes, on the other hand, is a powerful orchestration system for managing containerized applications at scale. It automates deployment, scaling, and management of containers, making it ideal for production environments.


Step 1: Containerize Your Full Stack Java Application

A typical full stack Java app consists of a backend (often built with Spring Boot or similar frameworks) and a frontend (built with Angular, React, or Vue.js). To deploy it with Docker, you need to create Docker images for both parts.


Backend Dockerfile: This usually starts with a base image like openjdk:17-jdk, copies your Java application JAR file, and defines how to run it.


dockerfile

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FROM openjdk:17-jdk

COPY target/myapp.jar /app/myapp.jar

ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "/app/myapp.jar"]

Frontend Dockerfile: For frontend apps, you often build the static files first and then serve them using a lightweight web server like Nginx.


dockerfile

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FROM node:16 as build

WORKDIR /app

COPY package.json .

RUN npm install

COPY . .

RUN npm run build


FROM nginx:alpine

COPY --from=build /app/build /usr/share/nginx/html

Once the Dockerfiles are ready, build the images locally and push them to a container registry like Docker Hub or a private registry.


Step 2: Create Kubernetes Manifests

Kubernetes uses YAML files called manifests to define the desired state of your applications. You’ll create manifests for:


Deployments: Define how many replicas of your app should run.


Services: Expose your deployments internally or externally.


ConfigMaps and Secrets: Manage configuration and sensitive data.


Example snippet for a backend deployment:


yaml

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apiVersion: apps/v1

kind: Deployment

metadata:

  name: backend-deployment

spec:

  replicas: 3

  selector:

    matchLabels:

      app: backend

  template:

    metadata:

      labels:

        app: backend

    spec:

      containers:

      - name: backend

        image: yourrepo/backend:latest

        ports:

        - containerPort: 8080

You’ll create a similar deployment for the frontend and expose both using Kubernetes Services.


Step 3: Deploy and Manage

Use kubectl commands to deploy your manifests:


bash

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kubectl apply -f backend-deployment.yaml

kubectl apply -f frontend-deployment.yaml

kubectl apply -f backend-service.yaml

kubectl apply -f frontend-service.yaml

Kubernetes will start the specified number of pods, ensure they stay running, and handle failovers. You can scale your app dynamically by changing the replica count.


Benefits

Portability: Docker containers run the same way everywhere.


Scalability: Kubernetes handles load balancing and scaling automatically.


Resilience: Kubernetes restarts failed containers and manages updates.


Simplified DevOps: Streamlines continuous deployment pipelines.


Conclusion

Deploying a full stack Java application with Docker and Kubernetes might seem challenging at first, but it brings tremendous benefits in consistency, scalability, and management. By containerizing your backend and frontend separately and orchestrating them with Kubernetes, you build a robust foundation for modern, cloud-native applications.

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