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Yes—one Ubuntu VPS can run several MEAN applications reliably. Install the shared runtime and services once, then isolate each app with its own directory, environment file, Express port, PM2 process name, MongoDB database credentials and Nginx virtual host. Keep every Node service on localhost; Nginx alone accepts public HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Use one domain or subdomain per app for the simplest routing, and add TLS only after DNS points to the VPS.
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How the multi-app layout works
A MEAN deployment has four moving parts: MongoDB stores data, Express and Node.js run the API, Angular produces browser files, and Nginx serves those files while reverse-proxying API requests. The VPS can share one installation of Node.js, npm, Nginx, MongoDB and Git, but application identities must remain separate.
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For each application, define all of the following:
- A private application directory and, where practical, a separate Unix user or deployment identity.
- An environment file containing only that app’s secrets and settings.
- A unique Express listen port, such as 4101 for the first API and 4102 for the second.
- A unique PM2 process name and working directory.
- A separate MongoDB database and least-privilege database user.
- An Nginx server block with its own hostname, Angular document root and proxy destination.
The public request path is therefore https://app-one.example.com/ to Nginx, static Angular files from the app-one build directory, and https://app-one.example.com/api/ to Express on 127.0.0.1:4101. App two follows the same pattern with a different hostname and port. This arrangement prevents port collisions and makes deployments, logs and rollbacks easier to identify.
DigitalOcean’s MEAN catalog recommends an Nginx server-block file for each site and a separate directory under /var/www. The procedure below uses /srv/apps, which keeps deployable application data distinct from the operating system while preserving the same one-directory-per-site principle.
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1. Provision and harden Ubuntu before deploying code
Create a deployment identity
Use a sudo-capable deployment user rather than performing routine work as root. Add your SSH public key, test a second administrative session, and only then disable password authentication if your access policy permits it. Keep emergency console access available through your VPS provider.
Patch the system and restrict the firewall
Apply security updates first:
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgradeAllow SSH only from trusted administration networks, then allow the public web ports:
sudo ufw allow from YOUR_ADMIN_CIDR to any port 22 proto tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status verboseDo not allow MongoDB’s port 27017 from the internet. With the services in this design, MongoDB and the Node APIs bind locally, so no inbound firewall rule is needed for either service.
2. Install the shared MEAN prerequisites once
Install a supported Node.js LTS release, npm, Nginx, MongoDB and Git using repositories appropriate for your Ubuntu release. Record the exact versions in deployment notes so a rebuild uses compatible packages. The current one-click MEAN image listed by DigitalOcean in 2026 includes Node.js 22.22.3 and MongoDB 8.0.17; those figures describe that image and can change, so do not assume they are universal package versions.
Check what is actually installed:
node --version
npm --version
nginx -v
mongosh --version
git --versionEnable the shared services at boot and start them:
sudo systemctl enable --now nginx
sudo systemctl enable --now mongodAngular’s command-line tooling can be installed globally if your projects require it, but production deployment should use each project’s lockfile and declared build scripts. Avoid mixing dependency versions between applications merely because they share one server.
3. Create an isolated directory layout
A predictable layout makes permissions and Nginx roots unambiguous:
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├── backend/
├── frontend/
│ └── dist/
├── shared/
└── releases/
/srv/apps/app-two/
├── backend/
├── frontend/
│ └── dist/
├── shared/
└── releases/Keep source and deployment configuration outside any directory that Nginx serves. Never put .env files, private keys, database dumps or Git metadata under a public Angular document root. A stricter installation gives each application its own Unix user; a shared deployment user is simpler but means a compromised app can potentially read another app’s files. Whichever model you choose, set ownership deliberately and use restrictive permissions for secrets:
sudo install -d -m 0750 -o appone -g appone /srv/apps/app-one
sudo install -d -m 0750 -o apptwo -g apptwo /srv/apps/app-two
sudo chmod 0600 /srv/apps/app-one/backend/.env
sudo chmod 0600 /srv/apps/app-two/backend/.envUse a release directory or versioned deployment folders if you need atomic rollbacks. The active Angular dist directory and backend working directory should always point to a known release.
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4. Give every app its own MongoDB database and credentials
A single MongoDB daemon can serve multiple applications efficiently. Isolation comes from separate databases and users, not from giving every app unrestricted access to the server. Create one least-privilege account per application and use authenticated localhost connections such as:
mongodb://app1_user:[email protected]:27017/app1Store the complete connection string in app-one’s protected environment file and create a different user, password and database name for app two. Bind MongoDB to localhost unless you have a documented private-network requirement. Never open port 27017 to the public internet.
Confirm authentication from the VPS using each app’s credentials before starting the API. Back up the databases and test a restore periodically; a backup that has never been restored is not a verified recovery plan.
5. Deploy each Express backend on a unique localhost port
Install from the lockfile
Clone or copy the backend into its application directory, then install production dependencies with the project’s lockfile:
cd /srv/apps/app-one/backend
npm ci --omit=dev
NODE_ENV=production npm run buildUse the project’s actual build command; some Express applications do not have a separate build step. Repeat the process in app two’s backend directory. Keep NODE_ENV=production in the PM2 environment as well as in any deployment shell.
Make the listener explicit
Your server should read the port from the environment and bind to localhost:
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app.listen(port, '127.0.0.1', () => {
console.log(`API listening on ${port}`);
});Assign 4101 to app one and 4102 to app two, or choose other unused high ports. The important rule is uniqueness. Test each API locally before involving Nginx:
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:4101/health
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:4102/healthA successful local response proves that the process, environment variables and MongoDB connection are working independently of DNS, certificates and proxy configuration.
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6. Build and place each Angular frontend
In each frontend project, configure the production API base URL to use that app’s own hostname and an /api prefix, or an equivalent environment-specific setting. A same-origin URL such as /api avoids hard-coding a private port into browser code.
cd /srv/apps/app-one/frontend
npm ci
npm run build -- --configuration productionCopy the generated dist output into app one’s release directory, and repeat for app two. Angular CLI output paths vary by project; inspect the resulting directory and use the exact folder containing index.html as the Nginx root. The browser should never request 127.0.0.1:4101 directly—on a user’s computer, that address means the user’s own computer, not your VPS.
7. Run all Node processes with PM2
PM2 is a Node-focused process manager that keeps applications alive, restarts them after crashes and can restore them after machine restarts. Its ecosystem file gives several applications reproducible working directories, names and environment variables.
module.exports = {
apps: [
{
name: 'app-one-api',
cwd: '/srv/apps/app-one/backend',
script: 'server.js',
env: { NODE_ENV: 'production', PORT: 4101 }
},
{
name: 'app-two-api',
cwd: '/srv/apps/app-two/backend',
script: 'server.js',
env: { NODE_ENV: 'production', PORT: 4102 }
}
]
};Adjust script to the real entry point or use the project’s compiled output. Start and persist the processes:
pm2 start ecosystem.config.js
pm2 list
pm2 save
pm2 startupPM2 prints a command from pm2 startup; run that command with the requested privileges, then run pm2 save again. Verify an individual process and its logs:
pm2 logs app-one-api
pm2 describe app-two-apiUse distinct process names. They make targeted restarts and log inspection safe:
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pm2 restart app-two-apiIf your application loads secrets from .env, load them in the application or ecosystem configuration without committing them to Git. PM2’s ecosystem file itself should be protected if it contains credentials.
8. Configure one Nginx server block per domain
Each hostname gets a separate file in /etc/nginx/sites-available. The first block serves Angular’s static files and forwards only /api/ to app one’s private port:
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server {
listen 80;
server_name app-one.example.com;
root /srv/apps/app-one/frontend/dist/app-one;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}
location /api/ {
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:4101/;
}
}Create a second block with app two’s hostname, Angular root and port 4102:
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listen 80;
server_name app-two.example.com;
root /srv/apps/app-two/frontend/dist/app-two;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}
location /api/ {
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:4102/;
}
}The trailing slash in proxy_pass affects URI rewriting. With the shown configuration, Nginx removes the matching /api/ prefix before forwarding. Make your Express routes match that behavior—for example, route /users behind a public request to /api/users. If your backend expects the prefix to remain, change the proxy and route design together rather than guessing.
Enable the files and validate before reloading:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/app-one /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/app-one
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/app-two /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/app-two
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginxNginx can serve static files, manage TLS and redirect traffic to a Node application. If an API uses WebSockets, add the appropriate HTTP/1.1 upgrade headers and timeout settings to that location; ordinary JSON APIs do not require them.
9. Point DNS to the VPS and enable HTTPS
Create an A record for each hostname pointing to the VPS’s IPv4 address and an AAAA record only when the VPS is correctly configured for IPv6. Wait for each name to resolve publicly before requesting a certificate. The domain must point to the VPS and ports 80 and 443 must be reachable for the usual Nginx certificate workflow.
Run Certbot’s Nginx integration for each hostname, select the option that redirects HTTP to HTTPS, and verify the resulting configuration:
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sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
sudo certbot renew --dry-runTest both the browser URL and API URL after the certificate is installed. Keep certificate renewal monitored; a certificate that expires takes every app on that hostname offline even when the Node processes are healthy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Domain-per-app or path-per-app?
| Layout | Routing model | Main advantage | Main complication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain or subdomain per app | app-one.example.com and app-two.example.com |
Separate Nginx roots, API prefixes, cookies and certificates are easy to reason about. | Requires DNS records and a hostname for each application. |
| Path per app | example.com/app-one and example.com/app-two |
Can share one hostname and sometimes one certificate. | Angular must be built with the correct base path, asset URLs and client-side routing; API prefixes and cookie paths need careful coordination. |
Choose domain-per-app unless you have a strong reason to share a hostname. It minimizes rewrite rules and makes moving one application later less disruptive.
Isolation and service-management choices
| Decision | Simpler option | More isolated option | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unix identity | One deployment user | One user per application | Shared users reduce administration; separate users limit cross-app file access. |
| Node process manager | PM2 ecosystem file | One systemd service unit per API | PM2 is Node-focused and convenient for multiple processes; systemd is native to Ubuntu and integrates directly with service dependencies and journaling. |
| MongoDB placement | One MongoDB instance with separate databases | Separate database hosts | A shared instance uses fewer resources; separate hosts provide stronger fault isolation but add cost and operations. |
| Hosting model | All services on one VPS | Managed database or separate hosting | One VPS is economical and straightforward; splitting services improves resilience and reduces a single-server failure domain. |
PM2 and systemd are alternatives, not layers you must stack. If you choose systemd, create a unit per API with a distinct WorkingDirectory, EnvironmentFile and ExecStart, then enable each unit. Do not have both systemd and PM2 supervise the same process.
Capacity: how many apps can one VPS run?
There is no authoritative universal maximum. Capacity depends on API concurrency, Angular build size, background jobs, MongoDB working sets, traffic spikes, memory limits and disk performance. Measure your own workload rather than counting domains. Watch CPU, memory, swap, disk latency, MongoDB connections and API response times under a realistic load test.
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Leave headroom for operating-system updates, MongoDB maintenance, certificate renewal and a temporary traffic surge. If one application can exhaust memory or CPU, isolate it with process limits, move the database to managed infrastructure or place high-traffic applications on separate VPS instances.
Verification checklist after every deployment
- Resolve each hostname with DNS and confirm it returns the VPS address.
- Run
curl -i http://127.0.0.1:4101/healthand the equivalent command for every API. - Run
sudo nginx -tand inspectsystemctl status nginx. - Open each public HTTPS URL and confirm Angular client-side routes load after a hard refresh.
- Call each public API path and verify that it reaches the matching backend, not another app.
- Check
pm2 list, process uptime and logs for startup errors. - Confirm MongoDB authentication with each application’s own credentials.
- Inspect certificate expiry and run the supported renewal dry run.
- Verify that ports 4101 and 4102 are not publicly reachable; only 80 and 443 should be exposed for web traffic.
- Record the deployed commit, Node and MongoDB versions, environment-variable changes and rollback location.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Nginx returns 502 Bad Gateway
Check that the matching PM2 process is online, the configured port is correct and the API is listening on 127.0.0.1. Run a local curl against that port, then inspect pm2 logs. A backend crash, wrong cwd, missing production dependency or malformed environment variable is more likely than an Nginx networking failure when the listener is local.
Angular loads but API calls fail
Inspect the browser’s request URL. It should use the current hostname and /api/, not a development port or localhost. Then compare the Nginx location prefix, the trailing slash on proxy_pass and the Express route prefix. Check CORS only when the frontend and API are genuinely on different origins.
Every domain shows the same app
Confirm each request’s Host header reaches the intended server block, that every file has the correct server_name, and that the symlinks in sites-enabled point to the expected files. Run nginx -T to inspect the complete active configuration and remove a default catch-all block if it is intercepting requests.
HTTPS issuance fails
Verify public DNS, firewall access to port 80, the exact hostname in Nginx and the absence of a conflicting DNS record. Do not request a certificate for a name that has not yet resolved to this VPS.
The app works until reboot
Run pm2 save after the desired processes are online, execute the command printed by pm2 startup, reboot during a maintenance window and verify pm2 list. Also check that MongoDB and Nginx are enabled with systemd.
One app can read another app’s secrets
Review ownership and mode bits on directories and environment files, use separate Unix users, and keep secrets outside Nginx roots. Rotate any credential that may have been exposed; changing permissions does not invalidate a copied secret.
Backups, updates and safe operations
Back up each MongoDB database, protected environment files, Nginx server blocks and the PM2 ecosystem configuration. Store backups away from the VPS and perform a restore test on a separate environment. Before upgrading Node.js, MongoDB or application dependencies, capture versions and test one application at a time. Reload Nginx only after nginx -t succeeds, and use a staged release directory so a failed frontend build does not replace the last working build.
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