IPMS Project - Environment Setup

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Installation and Setup

Step 1: Install Prerequisites

Required Software:

• Git: Install Git on your local machine.
• Node.js: Install Node.js (preferably the LTS version).

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Step 2: Clone the Repository

Create a Folder:

• Create a folder named IPMS on your local machine.

Clone the Repository:

• Open the Command Prompt (CMD), navigate to the IPMS folder, and run:

  git clone https://github.com/IPMS-Project/IPMS.git

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Step 3: Explore the Repository

Repository Structure:

• After cloning, you will see the client and server folders under the IPMS directory.

Open in Visual Studio Code:

• Open the IPMS folder in Visual Studio Code.

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Step 4: Install Dependencies

Install via npm:

• Open terminals for both client and server folders.

• Run the following command in each folder:

  npm install

• After installation, a node_modules folder will appear in both client and server directories.

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Step 5: Run the Server

Start the Server:

• Navigate to the server folder and run:

  npm start

• This will start the server and connect to MongoDB.

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Step 6: Run the Client

Launch the Client Application:

• Navigate to the client folder and run:

  npm start

• This will open a page on port 3000.

• The displayed page is a sample page to verify that the client is running (not the final product).

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Troubleshooting

Common Issue: Failed to Create User

• If you see a "Failed to create user" error, the server might not be running.
• Ensure the server is started before trying to create a user.

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Step 7: Set Up Local MongoDB

Install MongoDB:

• Download and install MongoDB Community Edition from here.
• Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.
• Make sure the MongoDB service is running.

Database Details:

• The project uses a local MongoDB database.
• Default connection string: mongodb://localhost:27017/IPMS

Database Management Tool:

• Download and install Studio 3T from here.
• Open Studio 3T and create a new connection to mongodb://localhost:27017.
• Use Studio 3T to view, query, and manage your database.

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Notes:

• Follow the steps carefully to set up your environment.
• If you encounter issues, refer to the troubleshooting section.
• Ensure you are working on the latest version of the repository.

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Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

GitHub Actions Workflow

The project uses GitHub Actions for automated testing and deployment. The workflow is configured in .github/workflows/main.yml.

What the Workflow Does:

1. Continuous Integration (CI):

   • Runs on every push to main branch and pull requests
   • Installs dependencies for both frontend and backend
   • Builds the frontend application
   • Verifies that both frontend and backend can be built successfully

2. Continuous Deployment (CD):

   • Automatically deploys to the server when changes are pushed to main
   • Only runs on pushes to main (not on pull requests)
   • Deploys both frontend and backend code
   • Restarts the application on the server

How to Use:

1. For Regular Development:

   • Create a new branch for your feature/devlopment
   • Make your changes
   • Create a pull request to feature/devlopment
   • now review all the changes and merge into feature branch
   • Create a pull request to main from feature branch
   • The CI workflow will run automatically to verify your changes
   • Important: Always keep your branch updated with the latest changes from the target branch before creating a pull request:

     git checkout your-branch
     git fetch origin
     git merge origin/feature # or origin/main
     # Resolve any conflicts and then push
     git push origin your-branch

2. For Deployment:

   • Push your changes to main
   • The CD workflow will automatically deploy to the server

Required GitHub Secrets:

The following secrets need to be set up in your GitHub repository:

• SERVER_HOST: Server IP address or hostname
• SERVER_USERNAME: SSH username
• SERVER_PASSWORD: SSH password
• PROJECT_PATH: Path to project on server

To set up secrets:

1. Go to your GitHub repository
2. Click "Settings"
3. Click "Secrets and variables" → "Actions"
4. Click "New repository secret"
5. Add each secret with its corresponding value

Troubleshooting CI/CD:

• If the workflow fails, check the "Actions" tab in your repository
• Common issues:
  • Missing dependencies in package.json
  • Build errors in the frontend
  • Server connection issues
  • Incorrect server credentials

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