Bold BI Deployment Using Reverse Proxy Setup

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This article outlines the steps required to deploy Bold BI using a reverse proxy setup with Nginx. The deployment involves two virtual machines: one Linux VM for Bold BI installation and one Linux VM for the Nginx proxy server.

Prerequisites

Virtual Machines: Two virtual machines must be created.
- Machine One (Linux VM): This will host the Bold BI application. This can be either a private or public VM, but it should be accessible from the VM where the Nginx proxy server is installed.
- Machine Two (Linux VM): This will serve as the Nginx proxy server.

Setup and Deployment

Step 1: Install Bold BI on Machine One

Follow the documentation to install the Bold BI application on Machine One:
Installing Bold BI on Ubuntu

For example, the Bold BI application is configured with the following domain:

http://132.196.41.154

Step 2: Install Nginx on Machine Two

Update the package list and install Nginx on the second machine:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
```

Step 3: Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

Navigate to the Nginx configuration directory:
```
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available
```
Remove any default Nginx configuration files that may be present from the above location.

Create a new configuration file (e.g., boldbi-nginx) for the Bold BI application with the following settings. Ensure to replace the placeholder with the actual public address of the Bold BI application:

#server {
#listen 80;
#server_name example.com;
#return 301 https://example.com$request_uri;
#}   

server {
      listen 80 default_server;
      
     #server_name   example.com;

     #listen 443 ssl;
     #ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/sites-available/domain.crt;
     #ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/sites-available/domain.key;
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://132.196.41.154;  # Replace with your machine/public address used for the Bold BI application
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection keep-alive;
        proxy_set_header Host $http_host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
    }
}

If you have an SSL certificate for your domain and need to configure the site with it, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the directory /etc/nginx/sites-available/ and open the file boldbi-nginx in a text editor.
- Uncomment the marked lines in the Nginx config file.
- Comment the marked line in the Nginx config file.
- Replace example.com with your domain name.
- Define the path of the SSL certificate: ssl_certificate /etc/ssl/domain.crt;.
- Specify the directory where the SSL certificate key is located: ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/domain.key;.
  
  Refer the below image for the SSL configuration changes:

Step 4: Create Symbolic Link

Create a symbolic link for the new configuration file in the sites-enabled directory. For example, if the file name is boldbi-nginx, use the following command:
```
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/boldbi-nginx /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/boldbi-nginx
```

Step 5: Test Configuration and Restart Nginx

Check the Nginx configuration syntax:
```
sudo nginx -t
```
If the syntax is correct, reload the Nginx server:
```
sudo nginx -s reload
```

After completing these steps, the Bold BI application will also be accessible via the reverse proxy URL. Navigate to the administration page at <Domain/IP>/ums/administration.

Step 6: Update Reverse Proxy URL on the Bold BI Admin Page

After entering the reverse proxy, it will prompt to proceed with the login. Once logged in, navigate to the administration page.
Example:
```
https://reverse-proxy-setup.boldbidemo.com/ums/administration
```
Update the reverse proxy URL and save the changes using the save option.

Step 7: Restart the Bold BI Application Service

Once updated, restart the service for the Bold BI application using the following command:

sudo systemctl restart bold-*

Now, Bold BI is configured with the reverse proxy URL.

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Written by Sivanesan Saravanan

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