Deploying a sample Ruby on Rails app to Cloud Foundry

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Learn how you can deploy a sample Ruby on Rails app to Cloud Foundry.

Prerequisites

In order to deploy a sample Ruby on Rails app, you must have the following:

• Cloud Foundry deployment
• Cloud Foundry Command Line Interface
• Cloud Foundry username and password with Space Developer permissions. See your Org Manager if you require permissions.

Step 1: Clone the app

Run the following command to create a local copy of the cf-sample-app-rails.

$ git clone https://github.com/cloudfoundry-samples/cf-sample-app-rails.git

Step 2: Log in and target the API endpoint

1. Run the following command to log in and target the API endpoint of your deployment. To find your API endpoint, visit the web console and open the settings sidebar of your space.

   $ cf login -a YOUR-API-ENDPOINT

2. Use your credentials to log in, and select a Space and Org.

Step 3: Create a service instance

Run the following command to create a PostgreSQL service instance for the sample app. Our service instance is rails-postgres. It uses the postgresql-10-odb service and the standalone plan. For more information about the postgresql-10-odb service, see Crunchy PostgreSQL.

  $ cf create-service postgresql-10-odb standalone rails-postgres
  Creating service rails-postgres in org YOUR-ORG / space development as clouduser@example.com....
  OK

Step 4: Deploy the app

Verify that you are in the cf-sample-app-rails directory. Run the following command to deploy the app:

$ cf push cf-sample-app-rails

cf push cf-sample-app-rails creates a URL route to your application in the form HOST.DOMAIN. In this example, HOST is cf-sample-app-rails. Administrators specify the DOMAIN. For example, for the DOMAIN scapp.io, running cf push cf-sample-app-rails creates the URL cf-sample-app-rails.scapp.io.

The following example shows the output when you deploy the cf-sample-app-rails. cf push uses the instructions in the manifest file to create the app, create and bind the route, and upload the app. It then follows the information in the manifest file to start one instance of the app with 256M of RAM. After the app starts, the output displays the health and status of the app.

$ cf push cf-sample-app-rails
Using manifest file ~/workspace/cf-sample-app-rails/manifest.yml

Creating app cf-sample-app-rails in org my-rog / space dev as clouduser@example.com...
OK

Creating route cf-sample-app-rails.cfapps.io...
OK

Binding cf-sample-app-rails.cfapps.io to cf-sample-app-rails...
OK

Uploading cf-sample-app-rails...
Uploading app files from: ~/workspace/cf-sample-app-rails
Uploading 746.6K, 136 files
Done uploading
OK

Starting app cf-sample-app-rails in org my-org  / space dev as clouduser@example.com...
. . .
0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting
1 of 1 instances running

App started

OK

App cf-sample-app-rails was started using this command `bundle exec rails server -p $PORT`

Showing health and status for app cf-sample-app-rails in org my-org / space dev as clouduser@example.com...
OK

requested state: started
instances: 1/1
usage: 512M x 1 instances
urls: cf-sample-app-rails.cfapps.io
last uploaded: Fri Dec 22 18:08:32 UTC 2017
stack: cflinuxfs3
buildpack: ruby

     state     since                    cpu    memory          disk           details
#0   running   2017-08-17 10:09:57 AM   0.0%   20.7M of 512M   186.8M of 1G

If you want to view log activity while the app deploys, launch a new terminal window and run cf logs cf-sample-app-rails.

Step 5: Binding the service instance

1. Run the following command to bind the service instance to the sample app. Once bound, environment variables are stored that allow the app to connect to the service after a cf push, cf restage, or cf restart command.

  $ cf bind-service cf-sample-app-rails rails-postgres
  Binding service rails-postgres to app cf-sample-app-rails in org my-org / space dev
  OK
  TIP: Use 'cf restage cf-sample-app-rails' to ensure your env variable changes take effect.
  

1. Run the following command to restage the sample app.

   $ cf restage cf-sample-app-rails
   

2. Run the following command to verify the service instance is bound to the sample app.

   $ cf services
   Getting services in org my-org / space dev
   OK
   name             service             plan        bound apps            last operation
   rails-postgres   postgresql-10-odb   standalone  cf-sample-app-rails   create succeeded
   

Step 6: Verify the app

Verify that the app is running by going to the URL generated in the output of the previous step. In this example, go to cf-sample-app-rails.scapp.io to verify that the app is running.

For more information about this topic, see Pushing an App.