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