CODEWITHSUNDEEP
node.jsazureazure-web-app-service
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Reputation: 13

Microsoft Azure free website issue (NodeJS server)

I have a NodeJS server running on an Azure free website. The server has a websocket module installed. Each connected user will cache some data with an object so that anyone else who connects can retrieve cached data from this object. The problem I am experiencing is that the server doesn't seem to keep this object around for very long. I can access the data with in for some time, but if I try later in the day, it's just gone.

Is Azure shutting down the server because it is experiencing no activity, causing the object to be deallocated? Does NodeJS deallocate objects if they aren't used after some time?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 152

Answers (2)

Ben H
Ben H

Reputation: 3236

Yep. If there aren't any requests to the app pool, Azure Websites stops your application. That means anything in memory is lost. You can set up a cron job or scheduled task to ping your web app to avoid the app pool timing out due to inactivity.

EDIT: Or, as David Makogon pointed out,

With basic/standard tier websites, you have the ability to enable Always On. You'll see this option under the Configure tab:

Upvotes: 0

David Makogon
David Makogon

Reputation: 71101

Azure Websites, as Ben pointed out in his answer, will evict idle websites. This is especially true with free/shared tiers, since your website is sharing resources with several other tenants on the same VM instances. But even with basic and standard tiers, there may be a need to evict your website (especially since you can have many of your own websites running within a single hosting plan).

With basic/standard tier websites, you have the ability to enable Always On. You'll see this option under the Configure tab:

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Once you enable this, your website should remain loaded.

Upvotes: 1

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