September 2020 Summaries

In September's updates for Fly CLI, users can now type "fly" instead of "flyctl", making the command shorter. The installation process also checks for new versions and allows automatic updating with the command "fly version update". Two new static builders for creating static web sites quickly - hugo-static and staticplus - have been added. Windows 10 improvements include better installation and updating using PowerShell. Additionally, two new ways to initialize an app with fly init are available: --overwrite and --nowrite. The changelog provides a comprehensive list of recent updates and changes to the Fly platform, tooling, and websites.

The article demonstrates how to use Heroku's Postgres database with a native Fly application without migrating the entire application from Heroku to Fly. It provides step-by-step instructions on setting up a new Heroku app, installing add-ons like Postgres, obtaining credentials for the database, and configuring Sequelize in a Node.js application to connect to the Heroku Postgres database. The process involves parsing the connection string from Heroku, creating a Sequelize instance with SSL enabled, and passing the database URL as a secret to the Fly deployment. This method allows users to take advantage of Heroku's database services while deploying their applications on Fly for better performance and proximity to end-users.

The text discusses the process of migrating an application from Heroku to Fly while handling database connections. It explains how to access a Heroku database from outside Heroku using the DATABASE_URL, which contains all necessary credentials for connecting to the Postgres database. To connect to Heroku Postgres from outside Heroku, SSL must be enabled and the sslmode set to require with rejectUnauthorized set to false. The text also provides sample code demonstrating how to handle these connections in a Node.js application using Massivejs and pg-connection-string packages. Finally, it explains how to push the app to Fly after migrating from Heroku and highlights some performance considerations when working with databases across different regions.

Making sure users connect to the HTTPS secured version of a site is crucial due to search engines marking down non-HTTPS sites and users adopting tools for more secure browsing. Fly automatically upgrades connections to HTTPS when creating an app, but when using custom domains with self-provided certificates, developers need to upgrade HTTP connections manually. This can be done by detecting the protocol used in incoming connections through headers like X-Forwarded-Proto and redirecting non-HTTPS connections to their HTTPS equivalents. Examples of how to implement this are provided for Go, Node (and Express), and other applications. Automating this process is being considered by Fly but has not been implemented yet.

Fly Answers Questions is a platform where users can ask questions about Fly and get answers from experts. Some key points discussed in this text include running non-HTTP apps on Fly, IP ranges used by Fly, and renaming an app on Fly. For non-HTTP apps, they need to have a network service for health checks; otherwise, the app will be killed off. Regarding IP ranges, Fly's IP addresses are subject to change, so it is suggested to use improved authentication methods like client certificates during TLS connections. Currently, there is no direct way to rename an app on Fly, but a workaround is provided with caution. The community site at community.fly.io is also mentioned as a great place for users to ask questions and get help with their Fly apps.