Deploy Django#

This page explains how to deploy a Django project on Fly.io, the popular deployment platform for developers.

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Framework Overview#

Django is a high-level Python web framework that follows the model-template-view (MTV) architectural pattern. It implements the “batteries included” philosophy, providing robust built-in features for authentication, admin interface, ORM, and security.

Django is particularly suited for data-driven applications, content management systems, and enterprise-grade web applications.

Deployment Configuration#

Project Structure#

Standard Django application structure for deployment:

├── app/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── asgi.py
│   ├── settings/
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── base.py
│   │   └── production.py
│   ├── urls.py
│   └── wsgi.py
├── manage.py
├── requirements.txt
├── Dockerfile
├── staticfiles/
└── media/

### Essential Files Configuration

requirements.txt:

Django==5.0.0
gunicorn==21.2.0
psycopg2-binary==2.9.9
whitenoise==6.6.0
dj-database-url==2.1.0
django-environ==0.11.2

Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.11-slim

# Set environment variables
ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
ENV DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=app.settings.production

# Set work directory
WORKDIR /app

# Install system dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    build-essential \
    libpq-dev \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Install Python dependencies
COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt

# Copy project
COPY . .

# Collect static files
RUN python manage.py collectstatic --noinput

# Run migrations
RUN python manage.py makemigrations

EXPOSE 8000

# Start Gunicorn
CMD ["gunicorn", "--bind", "0.0.0.0:8000", "app.wsgi:application"]

app/settings/base.py:

import os
import environ

env = environ.Env()

# Read environment variables
environ.Env.read_env()

SECRET_KEY = env('DJANGO_SECRET_KEY')

DEBUG = env.bool('DJANGO_DEBUG', False)

ALLOWED_HOSTS = env.list('DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS', default=['*'])

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'whitenoise.runserver_nostatic',
    # Add your apps here
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
]

DATABASES = {
    'default': env.db('DATABASE_URL', default='sqlite:///db.sqlite3')
}

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'staticfiles')
STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage'

app/settings/production.py:

from .base import *

DEBUG = False

SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT = True
SECURE_PROXY_SSL_HEADER = ('HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO', 'https')
SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True

# HSTS settings
SECURE_HSTS_SECONDS = 31536000
SECURE_HSTS_INCLUDE_SUBDOMAINS = True
SECURE_HSTS_PRELOAD = True

.dockerignore:

*.pyc
*.pyo
*.mo
*.db
*.css.map
*.egg-info
*.sql.gz
.cache
.project
.idea
.pydevproject
.idea/workspace.xml
.DS_Store
.git/
.gitignore
.env
.venv/
env/
venv/
ENV/
staticfiles/
media/

Fly.io Configuration#

fly.toml:

app = "your-django-app"
primary_region = "dfw"

[build]
    dockerfile = "Dockerfile"

[env]
    PORT = "8000"
    DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = "app.settings.production"

[http_service]
    internal_port = 8000
    force_https = true
    auto_stop_machines = true
    auto_start_machines = true
    min_machines_running = 1
    processes = ["app"]

[[vm]]
    cpu_kind = "shared"
    cpus = 1
    memory_mb = 512

[mounts]
    source = "django_media"
    destination = "/app/media"

[deploy]
    release_command = "python manage.py migrate"

Deployment Process#

Initialize Fly.io application:

fly launch

Configure environment variables:

fly secrets set DJANGO_SECRET_KEY="your-secret-key"
fly secrets set DJANGO_DEBUG="False"
fly secrets set DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS=".fly.dev"

Create and attach PostgreSQL database:

fly postgres create
fly postgres attach <database-name>

Deploy the application:

fly deploy

Database Management#

Run migrations:

fly ssh console -C "python manage.py migrate"

Create superuser:

fly ssh console -C "python manage.py createsuperuser"

Static Files and Media Storage#

Configure WhiteNoise for static files:

STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'staticfiles')

For media files, configure volume storage:

fly volumes create django_media --size 1

Security Configuration#

Update settings/production.py:

SECURE_PROXY_SSL_HEADER = ('HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO', 'https')
SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT = True
SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = True
CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = True

Configure CORS if needed:

CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS = [
    "https://your-domain.fly.dev",
]

Monitoring and Logging#

Configure Django logging:

LOGGING = {
    'version': 1,
    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
    'handlers': {
        'console': {
            'class': 'logging.StreamHandler',
        },
    },
    'root': {
        'handlers': ['console'],
        'level': 'INFO',
    },
}

Monitor application:

fly logs
fly status

## Performance Optimization

Configure Gunicorn workers in gunicorn.conf.py:

import multiprocessing

bind = "0.0.0.0:8000"
workers = multiprocessing.cpu_count() * 2 + 1
worker_class = "gthread"
threads = 2
max_requests = 1000
max_requests_jitter = 50

Implement caching:

CACHES = {
    'default': {
        'BACKEND': 'django.core.cache.backends.redis.RedisCache',
        'LOCATION': env('REDIS_URL'),
    }
}

Health Checks#

Create health check view:

# health/views.py
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.db import connections
from django.db.utils import OperationalError

def health_check(request):
    try:
        connections['default'].ensure_connection()
        return JsonResponse({"status": "healthy"})
    except OperationalError:
        return JsonResponse({"status": "unhealthy"}, status=500)

Update fly.toml:

[checks]
    [checks.health]
        port = 8000
        type = "http"
        interval = "15s"
        timeout = "2s"
        grace_period = "5s"
        method = "GET"
        path = "/health"

## Common Issues and Solutions

Static Files Not Serving - Verify STATIC_ROOT configuration - Ensure collectstatic runs in Dockerfile - Check WhiteNoise configuration
Database Connectivity - Verify DATABASE_URL environment variable - Check database instance status - Review connection pool settings
Media Files - Ensure volume is properly mounted - Check file permissions - Verify media URL configuration

This guide provides a comprehensive approach to deploying Django applications on Fly.io. Regular monitoring and maintenance are essential for optimal performance.

Links#

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Deploy Django

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