Connecting to Node.js server on azure virtual machine

Question

I created a virtual machine on Azure and defined a TCP endpoint. I then created a Node.js TCP server as follows:

var net = require('net');
var host = '127.0.0.1';
var port = 8000;
var times = 1;

net.createServer(function (socket) {
console.log('CONNECTED: ' + socket.remoteAddress + ':' + socket.remotePort);

socket.on('data', function (msg) {
    console.log("Message received is: " + msg);
    if (times == 1)
        socket.write("Server says HI");
    times++;
    executeStatement();
});

socket.on('close', function (data) {
    console.log('CLOSED: ' + socket.remoteAddress + ' ' + socket.remotePort);
});
}).listen(port, host);

console.log('System waiting at http://localhost:8000');

I am able to connect to the server while on the same host so two applications on different ports on the same machine can communicate bidirectionally. When I try connecting to the virtual machine through the public IP address and port number, it fails. I tried adding an inbound firewall rule on the virtual machine for the private port (8000) but that also doesn't make a difference. Please, can someone give me some ideas and/or links that help resolve this issue.

Have you created an endpoint, mapping some public port (e.g. 8000) to internal port 8000? — David Makogon
Hi David. Yes I did. I managed to solve the problem. Will post the answer just now. — Vinu

Vinu Vinu · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-28T12:04:51

Somehow, stating the host as 127.0.0.1 was causing the problem. I removed it and made the server listen on just the port alone i.e. listen(port). After doing this, I was able to detect that the port was open and then my program on the remote computer was able to communicate bidirectionally with the virtual machine.

Connecting to Node.js server on azure virtual machine

2 Answers