Deployment Guide

This guide provides an overview of deploying applications using the Milvus Node.js SDK to various platforms.

Choosing the Right Client

The Milvus SDK provides two clients:

• MilvusClient (gRPC): Default client, best for traditional server deployments
• HttpClient: Recommended for serverless platforms

When to Use HTTP Client

Use HttpClient when deploying to:

• Serverless platforms (Vercel, AWS Lambda, Cloudflare Workers)
• Edge computing environments
• Firewall-restricted environments
• HTTP-only infrastructures

When to Use gRPC Client

Use MilvusClient (gRPC) for:

• Traditional servers (Node.js, Express, NestJS)
• Long-lived connections
• Maximum performance requirements
• Dedicated infrastructure

Serverless Platforms

Vercel

Deploy to Vercel serverless functions with minimal configuration.

Quick Start:

api/search.js

import { HttpClient } from '@zilliz/milvus2-sdk-node';

let client;

function getClient() {
  if (!client) {
    client = new HttpClient({
      baseURL: process.env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
      token: process.env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
      timeout: 10000,
    });
  }
  return client;
}

export default async function handler(req, res) {
  const milvusClient = getClient();
  const results = await milvusClient.search({
    collection_name: 'my_collection',
    data: req.body.vectors,
    limit: 10,
  });
  res.status(200).json({ results });
}

Learn more: Vercel Deployment Guide

Cloudflare Workers

Deploy to Cloudflare Workers for edge computing.

Quick Start:

worker.js

import { HttpClient } from '@zilliz/milvus2-sdk-node';

export default {
  async fetch(request, env) {
    const client = new HttpClient({
      baseURL: env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
      token: env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
      timeout: 25000,
    });

    const results = await client.search({
      collection_name: 'my_collection',
      data: [/* vectors */],
      limit: 10,
    });

    return new Response(JSON.stringify({ results }), {
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    });
  },
};

Learn more: Cloudflare Workers Deployment Guide

AWS Lambda

Deploy to AWS Lambda for scalable serverless functions.

Quick Start:

index.js

import { HttpClient } from '@zilliz/milvus2-sdk-node';

let client;

function getClient() {
  if (!client) {
    client = new HttpClient({
      baseURL: process.env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
      token: process.env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
      timeout: 25000,
    });
  }
  return client;
}

export const handler = async (event) => {
  const milvusClient = getClient();
  const results = await milvusClient.search({
    collection_name: 'my_collection',
    data: JSON.parse(event.body).vectors,
    limit: 10,
  });

  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ results }),
  };
};

Learn more: AWS Lambda Deployment Guide

Traditional Server Deployment

Node.js/Express

For traditional Node.js servers, you can use either client:

// Using gRPC Client (Recommended)
import { MilvusClient } from '@zilliz/milvus2-sdk-node';

const client = new MilvusClient({
  address: 'localhost:19530',
  token: 'your-token',
});

await client.connectPromise;

// Using HTTP Client
import { HttpClient } from '@zilliz/milvus2-sdk-node';

const client = new HttpClient({
  baseURL: 'http://localhost:19530',
  token: 'your-token',
});

Docker

Deploy in Docker containers:

FROM node:20-alpine

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install

COPY . .

EXPOSE 3000

CMD ["node", "index.js"]

Environment Variables

Always use environment variables for sensitive configuration:

.env

MILVUS_ENDPOINT=https://your-instance.zillizcloud.com
MILVUS_TOKEN=your-api-token

const client = new HttpClient({
  baseURL: process.env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
  token: process.env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
});

Platform Comparison

Platform	Client Type	Timeout Limit	Best For
Vercel	HTTP	10s (Hobby), 60s (Pro)	Next.js apps, static sites
Cloudflare Workers	HTTP	30s (free), 15min (paid)	Edge computing, global distribution
AWS Lambda	HTTP	Up to 15 minutes	Enterprise serverless
Traditional Server	gRPC or HTTP	No limit	Long-lived applications

Common Patterns

Client Reuse

Reuse client instances to improve performance:

let client;

function getClient() {
  if (!client) {
    client = new HttpClient({
      baseURL: process.env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
      token: process.env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
    });
  }
  return client;
}

Error Handling

Always handle errors appropriately:

try {
  const results = await client.search({ /* ... */ });
  return { success: true, results };
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Milvus error:', error);
  return {
    success: false,
    error: error.message,
    status: error.status || 500,
  };
}

Timeout Configuration

Set timeouts based on platform limits:

const client = new HttpClient({
  baseURL: process.env.MILVUS_ENDPOINT,
  token: process.env.MILVUS_TOKEN,
  timeout: 10000, // Adjust based on platform
});

Next Steps

• Vercel: Detailed Vercel Deployment Guide
• Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers Guide
• AWS Lambda: AWS Lambda Guide
• HTTP Client: HTTP Client Documentation
• Best Practices: Best Practices Guide