how to properly close node-express server?

javascript api node.js webserver express

93,903

Solution 1

app.listen() returns http.Server. You should invoke close() on that instance and not on app instance.

Ex.

app.get(
    '/auth/github/callback',
    passport.authenticate('github', { failureRedirect: '/login' }),
    function(req, res) {
        res.redirect('/');

        setTimeout(function () {
            server.close();
            // ^^^^^^^^^^^
        }, 3000)
    }
);

var server = app.listen('http://localhost:5000/');

You can inspect sources: /node_modules/express/lib/application.js

Solution 2

In express v3 they removed this function.

You can still achieve the same by assigning the result of app.listen() function and apply close on it:

var server = app.listen(3000);
server.close((err) => {
  console.log('server closed')
  process.exit(err ? 1 : 0)
})

https://github.com/visionmedia/express/issues/1366

Solution 3

If any error occurs in your express app then you must have to close the server and you can do that like below-

var app = express();
var server = app.listen(process.env.PORT || 5000)

If any error occurs then our application will get a signal named SIGTERM. You can read more SIGTERM here - https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/manual/html_node/Termination-Signals.html

process.on('SIGTERM', () => {
  console.info('SIGTERM signal received.');
  console.log('Closing http server.');
  server.close((err) => {
    console.log('Http server closed.');
    process.exit(err ? 1 : 0);
  });
});

Solution 4

I have answered a variation of "how to terminate a HTTP server" many times on different node.js support channels. Unfortunately, I couldn't recommend any of the existing libraries because they are lacking in one or another way. I have since put together a package that (I believe) is handling all the cases expected of graceful express.js HTTP(S) server termination.

https://github.com/gajus/http-terminator

The main benefit of http-terminator is that:

it does not monkey-patch Node.js API
it immediately destroys all sockets without an attached HTTP request
it allows graceful timeout to sockets with ongoing HTTP requests
it properly handles HTTPS connections
it informs connections using keep-alive that server is shutting down by setting a connection: close header
it does not terminate the Node.js process

View more solutions

93,903

Author by

Vladimir Starkov

Updated on October 10, 2021

Comments

Vladimir Starkov over 2 years
I need to close server after getting callback from /auth/github/callback url. With usual HTTP API closing server is currently supporting with server.close([callback]) API function, but with node-express server i’m getting TypeError: Object function app(req, res){ app.handle(req, res); } has no method 'close' error. And I don't know how to find information to solve this problem.
How should I close express server?

NodeJS configuration notes:
```
$ node --version
v0.8.17
$ npm --version
1.2.0
$ npm view express version
3.0.6
```
Actual application code:
```
var app = express();

// configure Express
app.configure(function() {
    // … configuration
});

app.get(
    '/auth/github/callback',
    passport.authenticate('github', { failureRedirect: '/login' }),
    function(req, res) {
        res.redirect('/');

        setTimeout(function () {
            app.close();
            // TypeError: Object function app(req, res){ app.handle(req, res); } has no method 'close'
        }, 3000)
    }
);

app.listen('http://localhost:5000/');
```
Also, I have found ‘nodejs express close…’ but I don't sure if I can use it with code I have: var app = express();.
Uday Hiwarale almost 8 years

Strange, it is not closing if I access some route.
Rick Velde over 7 years

@Uday, I also experienced this. I found out that my browser had an HTTP1.1 persistant connection open, so when I pressed F5 it appeared as though the server didn't close. If you try a different browser you will see the server socket is not running.
Vladimir Starkov almost 5 years

sorry, its not relevant. Question is about manual server shutdown and not about error handling
Edison Spencer over 4 years

That was my mistake, I was calling close on app instead of server. Saved my day. Many thanks 👍
Gajus over 4 years

Use something like github.com/gajus/http-terminator to ensure termination of the server in case there are persistent connections or requests not producing a response.
Gajus over 4 years

It remains a valid question.
krupesh Anadkat almost 4 years

short and simple
João Pimentel Ferreira almost 3 years

why the Timeout?
Oleg Valter is with Ukraine almost 3 years

@JoãoPimentelFerreira it seems that Vladimir simply followed the example OP gave where they close after 3 seconds
João Pimentel Ferreira almost 3 years

are you sure server.close has a callback? I don't see it in the documentation
Oleg Valter is with Ukraine almost 3 years

@JoãoPimentelFerreira - yup, it's certainly there
João Pimentel Ferreira almost 3 years

@OlegValter thanks but I read that expressJs server does not inherit anymore from nodejs http-server
Oleg Valter is with Ukraine almost 3 years

@JoãoPimentelFerreira last time I checked, app.listen call still does: "The app.listen() method returns an http.Server object and (for HTTP) is a convenience method for the following"