The Tool Desk
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The repository determines the package manager, workspace layout, ports, domain names, environment variables and build files. The sequence below is a deployment pattern, not a drop-in configuration for an uninspected repository.
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What the single-EC2 architecture looks like
Use one compute host, but keep the applications logically independent. A typical request path is:
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- A client connects to Nginx on the EC2 instance.
- Nginx selects a route by hostname or URL path.
- Requests for the web application go to the self-hosted Next.js server.
- Requests for the API go to Spring Boot.
- Both application listeners remain reachable only from the instance itself or its private container network.
Hostname routing is often the clearest design: app.example.com for Next.js and api.example.com for Spring Boot. Path routing, such as app.example.com/api, is also possible, but the frontend and backend must agree on URL prefixes, cookies and CORS behavior. Neither routing style is required by the frameworks; it is an architecture choice for your repository.
A single EC2 instance is still one failure domain. This layout does not by itself provide high availability, automatic failover, a cost guarantee or zero-downtime releases.
First decision: does Next.js need a server?
Before choosing a build command, identify the features used by the frontend. Current Next.js deployment documentation distinguishes a full Node.js server or Docker deployment from static export. Node.js and Docker support the complete feature set documented by Next.js, while static export is limited.
Use a Node.js server or container when the app uses server features
- Server-side rendering or dynamic rendering.
- Next.js API routes or route handlers.
- Incremental static regeneration.
- Middleware or other behavior that executes on the server.
- Runtime secrets that must not be exposed in browser JavaScript.
Build the production application and run its production server. A common script shape is npm run build followed by npm run start, but a workspace may require a package-manager-specific filter or a different script name. Confirm the scripts in the frontend package before putting them in systemd or a container image.
Use static export only when its limitations fit
Static export produces files for a web server or object storage. It is appropriate for a genuinely static site, but it is not a drop-in replacement for a server-rendered application. If the application relies on server-side rendering, API routes or incremental regeneration, exporting it can remove the very capabilities the application needs. In that case, keep a Node.js runtime or use Docker.
Next.js standalone output in a monorepo
Next.js can produce a standalone output directory intended to contain the files needed by a minimal runtime image. The official Docker guidance describes this mode as supporting server-side rendering, API routes and incremental static regeneration while reducing the runtime image contents.
Monorepos require an extra verification step. Output tracing must discover files imported by the selected workspace package, and shared packages may live outside the frontend directory. The correct tracing configuration, Docker build context and list of copied workspace files depend on the repository’s package manager and layout. Do not assume that copying only the frontend folder will work.
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Repository checks before writing a Dockerfile
- Identify the workspace tool and lockfile used by the repository.
- Find the exact Next.js package that owns the production build.
- Check whether shared packages are imported at build time or runtime.
- Verify where the standalone directory is emitted.
- Build from a context that includes every file required by dependency installation and tracing.
- Run the resulting image with only the runtime files and environment variables it actually needs.
These checks prevent a common failure in which the image builds successfully but crashes because a shared workspace package was omitted from the traced output.
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Spring Boot supports both executable JAR deployment and Docker packaging. Choose one method for the backend and keep its lifecycle separate from Next.js.
Executable JAR
For Maven, the repository may expose a wrapper command such as ./mvnw package; Gradle projects commonly use ./gradlew bootJar. The generated artifact is normally launched with Java, for example java -jar application.jar. Use the project’s documented Java version and profile rather than assuming a particular runtime.
Container image
A container gives the backend a repeatable runtime and isolates its filesystem from the host. It also lets you update the image and replace the container as one unit. The image still needs the correct database URL, secrets, active Spring profile and any outbound AWS permissions.
Docker is optional. You can run a JAR under systemd while running Next.js as a Node.js process, or containerize both applications. Docker Compose can coordinate multiple containers, but the available framework guidance does not make Compose mandatory for a single-instance deployment.
Choose Node.js processes or Docker deliberately
| Concern | Node.js/JAR processes | Docker packaging |
|---|---|---|
| Operational familiarity | Directly uses the host’s Node.js, Java and service manager. | Requires Docker image, registry and container operations. |
| Isolation | Processes share the host filesystem and installed runtimes. | Images package runtime dependencies and isolate process filesystems. |
| Repeatability | Depends on disciplined host provisioning and lockfiles. | Image contents can be versioned and promoted between environments. |
| Updates | Install dependencies, build artifacts and restart services. | Pull a versioned image, replace the container and retain the previous tag for rollback. |
| Evidence available | The framework documentation supports both approaches but does not benchmark performance, cost or update speed. | |
Pick the approach your team can monitor, patch and roll back reliably. Mixing approaches is valid, but document which component owns logs, environment variables and restart behavior.
Prepare the EC2 host and network boundary
Start with an operating system and runtime versions supported by your application. The exact instance size, region and operating-system commands are repository and workload decisions; no universal value can be inferred for them.
Security-group rules
AWS advises restricting instance access with security groups. For a public web service, allow only the proxy’s required inbound ports from the internet. Keep SSH closed unless it is an explicit, temporary administrative requirement, and do not expose the Next.js or Spring Boot ports publicly.
- Allow HTTP or HTTPS only when the proxy needs those public entry points.
- Allow SSH only from a tightly controlled administrative source, if you use SSH at all.
- Do not add broad rules for the internal application ports.
- Restrict outbound traffic when your organization’s policy requires it, while allowing required package, database and AWS API access.
Use Session Manager for administration
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager can provide shell access without opening inbound SSH or distributing SSH keys. It requires the instance to have the appropriate Systems Manager connectivity and IAM permissions. This reduces the public attack surface, but it does not remove the need to patch the operating system and applications.
Attach a least-privilege instance role
If either application calls AWS APIs, attach an IAM role through the EC2 instance profile and grant only the actions and resources required. Do not place long-lived access keys in the monorepo, image layers or frontend environment variables. Anything shipped to browser code should be treated as public.
Build and run both applications privately
Create a deployment directory structure that separates source, release artifacts, logs and runtime configuration. The names below are examples; adapt them to your host and repository.
- Check out a specific commit or obtain immutable build artifacts rather than building an unknown branch in production.
- Install the Node.js and Java versions required by the repository, or pull the corresponding images.
- Install dependencies using the repository’s lockfile and workspace command.
- Build the Next.js production output.
- Build the Spring Boot JAR or backend image.
- Store runtime secrets outside source control, with permissions limited to the service account that needs them.
- Start Next.js and Spring Boot on loopback addresses or an internal container network.
- Verify each service locally before exposing Nginx.
Illustrative local checks might be curl http://127.0.0.1:3000 for Next.js and curl http://127.0.0.1:8080/actuator/health for Spring Boot, but the ports and health endpoint must match the application configuration. A service that binds to all interfaces can bypass your intended network boundary, so explicitly configure its listen address where the runtime supports it.
Rank #4
Put Nginx in front of Next.js and Spring Boot
Next.js self-hosting documentation explicitly recommends a reverse proxy such as Nginx instead of exposing the Next.js server directly to the internet. The proxy can reject malformed requests, enforce payload-size limits, absorb slow-connection attacks and apply rate limiting before traffic reaches the application.
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Hostname-based routing pattern
At the proxy, define one virtual host for the frontend and another for the API. The conceptual flow is:
app.example.comforwards to the private Next.js listener.api.example.comforwards to the private Spring Boot listener.- Proxy headers carry the original host, scheme and client address when the backend is configured to trust this proxy.
- Requests that do not match an expected host are rejected rather than sent to an arbitrary service.
Path-based routing follows the same principle: forward /api/ to Spring Boot and the remaining paths to Next.js. Confirm whether the backend expects the /api prefix or whether Nginx must remove it before proxying. A mismatch commonly produces 404 responses even though both services are healthy.
TLS and request limits
Terminate TLS at the public proxy or at an upstream load balancer, then forward only the traffic you intend to the private listeners. Set request-body limits, timeouts and rate limits to values appropriate for your application. The framework recommendation establishes the role of the proxy, not universal timeout or certificate settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Configure forwarded headers safely
Spring Boot’s forwarded-header guidance has an important trust condition. Enable forwarded-header support only when requests reach Spring Boot through a proxy you control and the application is directly reachable only from that trusted network. Otherwise, set server.forward-headers-strategy=none.
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Service supervision, logs and releases
Each application needs an independent restart policy and observable logs. With host processes, systemd units are a common choice: one unit runs the Next.js production command and another runs the Spring Boot JAR. Set a dedicated user, working directory, environment-file permissions, restart behavior and resource limits for each unit. With containers, apply equivalent restart policies and collect stdout and stderr centrally.
Release sequence
- Build both applications from the same intended commit.
- Run automated checks before copying artifacts to the host.
- Stage the new frontend and backend versions beside the active release.
- Start or validate the new backend first if the frontend depends on new API behavior.
- Switch the service or container to the new version and inspect logs.
- Reload Nginx only when routing or proxy configuration changed.
- Run smoke tests through the public hostname and through each private health check.
- Retain the previous artifacts or image tags so a failed release can be restored.
This is a restart-based deployment on one host, not a promise of zero downtime. A brief interruption can occur unless you design an overlap strategy and verify that the application, database migrations and session handling support it.
Common failure modes
Next.js works locally but fails in production
Check that the production build, runtime environment variables and required server features are present. In a monorepo image, inspect standalone tracing and shared-package copies first. Static export may have removed a server capability the application requires.
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Confirm the service is running, listening on the address and port Nginx uses, and reachable from the proxy process. Then inspect application logs for startup failures, missing secrets, incompatible runtimes or a failed database connection.
API links or cookies use the wrong scheme
Verify TLS termination, the proxy’s forwarded headers and Spring Boot’s trust configuration. If the backend is publicly reachable, disable forwarded-header processing with server.forward-headers-strategy=none until the network boundary is corrected.
Requests reach the wrong service
Check DNS records, Nginx host and path precedence, trailing-slash behavior and whether a location block strips a prefix unexpectedly. Test each hostname with an explicit Host header before changing application code.
The instance becomes resource constrained
Measure memory, CPU, disk and connection usage for both services. Reduce build-time work on the production host, move builds to a controlled pipeline, add process limits and review whether a single instance remains appropriate. Do not infer a required instance size without workload measurements.
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Quick Recap
Deployment checklist
- Next.js server features were identified before choosing static export, Node.js or Docker.
- Monorepo workspace tracing and shared-package copying were verified for the actual repository.
- Spring Boot is packaged as a tested executable JAR or container image.
- Next.js and Spring Boot listen only on private addresses or a private container network.
- Nginx is the public entry point and routes by the chosen host or path design.
- Security groups expose only required public traffic.
- Session Manager is available if SSH is not needed.
- An instance profile grants only the AWS permissions the applications require.
- Forwarded-header processing is enabled only behind a trusted proxy.
- Logs, health checks, restart policies and a rollback artifact are in place.
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