Deploying a Java Application on VPS: A Step-by-Step Guide from A to Z

Deploying a Java Application on VPS: A Step-by-Step Guide from A to Z

Developing a Java application is only half the battle. The second, equally important part is deploying it on a server. Many developers face difficulties when transferring code from a local machine to a remote VPS. In this article, we will break down the complete process of deploying a Java application (using Spring Boot as an example) on a virtual private server (VPS) running Ubuntu 22.04. You will learn how to set up the environment, build the project, run it as a service, and provide secure access via Nginx and SSL.

1. Preparing the VPS and Installing Necessary Software

Before uploading the code, you need to prepare the server. We will use Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Connect to the server via SSH:

ssh root@your-ip-address

Update the package manager and install basic utilities:

apt update && apt upgrade -yapt install curl git -y

Now install OpenJDK 17 (the recommended version for most modern projects):

apt install openjdk-17-jdk -y

Verify the installation:

java -version

You should see something like:

openjdk version "17.0.9" 2023-10-17

Next, install Maven to build the project (if you use Gradle, replace the commands accordingly):

apt install maven -ymvn -version

This completes the basic environment setup.

2. Building and Uploading the Java Application to the Server

Build your Java application locally. Navigate to the project root folder and run:

mvn clean package -DskipTests

After a successful build, a JAR file will appear in the target folder (e.g., myapp-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar). Now you need to upload it to the server. Use scp (run from your local machine):

scp target/myapp-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar root@your-ip-address:/opt/myapp/

On the server, create a directory for the application and move the file:

mkdir -p /opt/myappmv myapp-0.0.1-SNAPSHOT.jar /opt/myapp/myapp.jar

Verify that the JAR file is in place and run it manually for testing:

cd /opt/myappjava -jar myapp.jar

If the application starts without errors, proceed to the next step.

3. Configuring systemd for Automatic Startup

To make the application start automatically on system boot and restart in case of a failure, create a systemd service.

Create the service file:

nano /etc/systemd/system/myapp.service

Insert the following content (replace youruser with the username under which the application will run, or leave it as root):

[Unit]Description=My Java Spring Boot ApplicationAfter=network.target

[Service]User=rootWorkingDirectory=/opt/myappExecStart=/usr/bin/java -jar /opt/myapp/myapp.jarSuccessExitStatus=143Restart=alwaysRestartSec=10

[Install]WantedBy=multi-user.target

Explanation of parameters:

• After=network.target — the service starts after the network is up.
• Restart=always — automatic restart on failure.
• RestartSec=10 — a 10-second pause before restarting.
• SuccessExitStatus=143 — correct handling of the stop signal.

Now enable and start the service:

systemctl daemon-reloadsystemctl enable myappsystemctl start myapp

Check the status:

systemctl status myapp

You should see Active: active (running). Your application will now start