Apache and NodeJS on the Same Server

Running Apache and Node.js applications on the same server using Apache's proxy modules

Running Apache and Node.js on the Same Server

Running Apache and Node.js on the same server is straightforward. On my development machines, I use a virtual document root setup, so adding new domains doesn’t require restarting Apache.

Load Apache Proxy Modules

First, ensure Apache is loading the required proxy modules. Uncomment these lines in your Apache configuration:

On CentOS 7:

vim /etc/httpd/conf.modules.d/00-proxy.conf

LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so
LoadModule proxy_http_module modules/mod_proxy_http.so

Configure Document Root

My existing virtual document root configuration handles all domains dynamically and looks like this:

<VirtualHost *:80>
  UseCanonicalName Off
  VirtualDocumentRoot /var/www/virtual/%-2.0.%-1/%-3/public
  ErrorLog logs/error_log
  CustomLog logs/access_log common
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.[a-z0-9]+\.[a-z]{2,6} [NC]
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^[^.]+\.[^.]+$
  RewriteCond %{HTTPS}s ^on(s)|
  RewriteRule ^ http%1://www.%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</VirtualHost>

Add Node.js Proxy Configuration

Append this new VirtualHost block to the bottom of your virtual configuration file. Update the domain and port to match your Node.js server:

<VirtualHost *:80>
  ServerName jasonbrennan.com
  ServerAlias www.jasonbrennan.com
  DocumentRoot /var/www/virtual/jasonbrennan.com/www/public
  ProxyPass / http://localhost:8000/
  ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8000/
</VirtualHost>

How It Works

ServerName/ServerAlias: Defines which domains this configuration applies to
DocumentRoot: Sets the local document root (can be used for static assets)
ProxyPass: Forwards all requests (/) to the Node.js server on localhost:8000
ProxyPassReverse: Rewrites redirects from the backend to maintain proper URLs

Restart and Test

Restart Apache and test your domain:

service httpd restart

Visit your domain in a browser - requests should now be handled by your Node.js application.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter errors like “Failed to load resource” or 502 Proxy Errors, you’re likely missing the trailing slashes in your proxy URLs. Ensure they end with /:

# Correct
ProxyPass / http://localhost:8000/
ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8000/

# Incorrect
ProxyPass / http://localhost:8000
ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8000

Benefits

This setup allows you to:

✅ Run Apache for traditional web hosting
✅ Run Node.js applications on the same server
✅ Use domain-based routing (Apache handles routing, Node.js handles the app)
✅ Maintain existing Apache configurations for other sites
✅ Scale by running multiple Node.js applications on different ports

The virtual document root continues to handle all other domains, while specific domains can be routed to Node.js applications as needed.