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ArcHive can be self-hosted on your own VPS (Virtual Private Server) with complete control over your data and deployment. This guide covers deploying on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with automated CI/CD.

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Architecture Components

A complete ArcHive deployment consists of the following components:

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Backend Application

  • Node.js Backend: Hono-based REST API running on Bun runtime
  • Background Workers:
    • Screenshot Worker: Captures webpage screenshots using Puppeteer
    • Tag Worker: Processes automatic tagging for content items
  • Process Manager: PM2 for process management and monitoring

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Databases

  • MongoDB: Primary database for storing users, collections, and content items
  • Redis: In-memory cache and job queue for BullMQ workers

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Web Server

  • Nginx: Reverse proxy handling SSL termination and request routing
  • SSL/TLS: Let’s Encrypt certificates for HTTPS

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Optional: CloudPanel

CloudPanel is a web-based control panel that simplifies:
  • Nginx configuration management
  • SSL certificate automation
  • User and site isolation
  • Database management UI
  • File management

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Server Specifications

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Minimum Requirements

  • CPU: 1 vCPU Core
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB SSD/NVMe
  • Bandwidth: 2-4 TB
  • OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (recommended)
  • CPU: 2+ vCPU Cores
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 100 GB SSD/NVMe
  • Bandwidth: 4+ TB

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Deployment Models

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Standard VPS Deployment

Deploy all components on a single VPS:
  • Backend API (port 3000)
  • MongoDB (port 27017)
  • Redis (port 6379)
  • Nginx as reverse proxy
  • PM2 managing Node.js processes

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CloudPanel Deployment

Use CloudPanel for simplified management:
  • Automatic Nginx configuration
  • One-click SSL certificates
  • Site isolation with dedicated users
  • Web-based file and database management

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Network Architecture

Client → Nginx (443) → Backend API (3000)
                      ↓
                   MongoDB (27017)
                   Redis (6379)
                      ↓
                  Background Workers
                   - Screenshot Worker
                   - Tag Worker

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Directory Structure

Typical deployment structure: 
/home/archive-api/
├── htdocs/
│   ├── backend/
│   │   ├── src/
│   │   ├── ecosystem.config.js
│   │   ├── .env
│   │   └── package.json
│   └── logs/
│       ├── api-error.log
│       ├── api-out.log
│       ├── screenshot-worker-error.log
│       └── tag-worker-error.log
└── backups/
    └── mongodb/

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Security Considerations

Before deploying to production, ensure you:
  • Use strong passwords for all services (MongoDB, Redis, JWT secrets)
  • Enable MongoDB and Redis authentication
  • Configure firewall rules (UFW)
  • Set up SSL/TLS certificates
  • Use environment variables for sensitive data
  • Enable rate limiting on API endpoints
  • Configure CORS properly

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Deployment Workflow

The typical deployment process follows these steps:
1

Prepare Server

Set up VPS with Ubuntu 22.04, configure DNS records
2

Install Prerequisites

Install Node.js, Bun, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, and PM2
3

Configure Databases

Set up MongoDB and Redis with authentication
4

Deploy Backend

Clone repository, install dependencies, configure environment
5

Configure Web Server

Set up Nginx reverse proxy and SSL certificates
6

Start Services

Launch application and workers with PM2
7

Setup CI/CD

Configure GitHub Actions for automated deployments

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Next Steps

Continue with the deployment process:

Prerequisites

System requirements and software installation

Database Setup

Configure MongoDB and Redis

Backend Deployment

Deploy the Node.js backend with PM2

Configuration

Environment variables and settings

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