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Before automating AWS Lambda deployment with a Jenkins pipeline, it’s crucial to adapt a Node.js application (originally designed for Docker on EC2 and Kubernetes) to run seamlessly in a serverless environment. Instead of sifting through extensive AWS documentation, we used Microsoft Copilot to outline high-level steps. Below are the questions we asked and the concise answers that guided our Lambda-ready changes and pipeline design.

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1. What are the steps required to deploy a Node.js application to AWS Lambda using a Jenkins pipeline?

The image shows a Visual Studio Code interface with a markdown file open, containing steps and questions related to deploying a Node.js app to AWS Lambda using a Jenkins pipeline. The terminal at the bottom is connected to a server.
Copilot mapped out these key stages:
  1. Configure AWS and Jenkins
    • Ensure AWS CLI is installed and credentials are set:
      aws configure
    • Install Jenkins plugins: Git, NodeJS, AWS Lambda, Pipeline
  2. Install Dependencies 
    npm install
  3. Run Tests (if applicable) 
    npm test
  4. Package the Application 
    zip -r my-node-app.zip index.js node_modules
  5. Deploy to Lambda 
    aws lambda create-function \
  --function-name my-node-app \
  --zip-file fileb://my-node-app.zip \
  --handler index.handler \
  --runtime nodejs14.x \
  --role arn:aws:iam::<AWS_ACCOUNT_ID>:role/<ROLE_NAME>
  6. Define Jenkins Pipeline (Jenkinsfile) 
    pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Checkout') { steps { git url: 'https://repo-url.git' } }
    stage('Install')  { steps { sh 'npm install' } }
    stage('Test')     { steps { sh 'npm test' } }
    stage('Package')  { steps { sh 'zip -r my-node-app.zip index.js node_modules' } }
    stage('Deploy') {
      steps {
        withAWS(credentials: 'aws-creds') {
          sh '''
          aws lambda update-function-code \
            --function-name my-node-app \
            --zip-file fileb://my-node-app.zip \
            --publish
          '''
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
Ensure that your Jenkins aws-creds credential has the necessary IAM permissions to create and update Lambda functions.
To summarize, here’s a quick overview of each pipeline stage:
StageDescriptionCommand
CheckoutClone the Git repositorygit clone https://repo-url.git
InstallInstall Node.js dependenciesnpm install
TestRun unit and integration testsnpm test
PackageArchive the application code and dependencieszip -r my-node-app.zip index.js node_modules
DeployUpdate AWS Lambda function codeaws lambda update-function-code --function-name my-node-app --zip-file fileb://my-node-app.zip --publish

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2. Are there any specific Lambda or serverless dependencies to add?

To adapt Express for Lambda’s event-driven model, install these packages: 
npm install express serverless-http
# (Optional) Install the Serverless Framework CLI globally
npm install -g serverless
The serverless-http library wraps your Express application into a handler function that AWS Lambda can invoke.

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3. Do we need to modify the application code (app.js) for AWS Lambda?

Yes. Wrap your Express app using serverless-http and export the handler: 
const express = require('express');
const serverless = require('serverless-http');
const app = express();

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello, AWS Lambda!');
});

module.exports.handler = serverless(app);
The image shows a webpage from Copilot, explaining how to build AWS Lambda functions using Node.js and Express. It details the use of module.exports, handler, and serverless(app) for adapting applications to AWS Lambda.

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4. What is the AWS CLI command to update a Lambda function’s code?

If your function already exists, run: 
aws lambda update-function-code \
  --function-name my-node-app \
  --zip-file fileb://my-node-app.zip \
  --publish
Or update from an S3 bucket: 
aws lambda update-function-code \
  --function-name my-node-app \
  --s3-bucket my-bucket \
  --s3-key my-node-app.zip

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5. How can we retrieve the Function URL configuration via AWS CLI?

To fetch the function URL settings after deployment: 
aws lambda get-function-url-config \
  --function-name my-node-app
With these steps, you now have a clear roadmap:
  • Integrate serverless-http into your Node.js app and export a Lambda handler.
  • Zip your application code and dependencies.
  • Use AWS CLI commands within a Jenkins pipeline to deploy and update your Lambda function.
  • Retrieve and test the Function URL configuration with a simple CLI call.
In the next session, we’ll manually execute these commands to confirm the deployment before fully automating the workflow using our Jenkins pipeline.

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