# Installing a separate instance of Node Red to be a testing environment that can be different from the other(s)

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [11 November 2024 22:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082 "2024-11-11T22:51:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![michaelbusry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@michaelbusry](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/michaelbusry)\
**Post date:** [11 November 2024 22:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/1 "2024-11-11T22:51:04Z")

</div>

I currently have Node Red installed and working on a customers site. I haven't been able to understand how to setup another instance where I can make Node install changes. Basically a prod and test system or even a separate install on my machine for each customer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MyRandomThoughts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/myrandomthoughts/32/41085_2.png) [@MyRandomThoughts](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/MyRandomThoughts)\
**Post date:** [11 November 2024 23:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/2 "2024-11-11T23:05:40Z")

</div>

Docker is probably the best option for this

If you want a separate instance for each customer on you local machine, just install docker and use the same docker compose file to spin up a new instance but using a different port number.

I do this currently. Live is on 1880, Dev is 1881.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [11 November 2024 23:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/3 "2024-11-11T23:11:58Z")

</div>

Node-RED is a node.js application. As such, you can easily create additional instances but each must have a unique port number and will need a separate userDir folder.

With the "standard" install installs the node-red package globally which means that each instance will be the same version. However, this isn't the only way of installing Node-RED. You can install locally and have different versions running in parallel. See my alternate installer for details.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2024 07:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/4 "2024-11-12T07:59:35Z")

</div>

[FlowFuse](https://flowfuse.com) is the best tool for this kind of cases.

You can create multiple NR instances and you can also link them via DevOps Pipelines. So one instance is your dev and the other the production. Once your dev project is finished, you trigger the deployment to production.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2024 12:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/5 "2024-11-12T12:37:05Z")

</div>

> [@GogoVega](#):
>
> best

??? That is a rather strong suggestion and I'd have to say is not entirely true 🙂 It may be best for some use-cases but of course also comes with a cost.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GogoVega](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gogovega/32/71313_2.png) [@GogoVega](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GogoVega)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2024 12:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/6 "2024-11-12T12:44:32Z")

</div>

The word is I agree a little strong - no marketing idea behind it, just my opinion as a user.

Since his message this solution seemed to suit him for the reasons mentioned.

There are of course other tools, other solutions. It's up to him to find his new toy based on what is offered to him.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JoW](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/jow/32/108217_2.png) [@JoW](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JoW)\
**Post date:** [13 November 2024 16:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/7 "2024-11-13T16:31:11Z")

</div>

we have multiple node-red instances, providing different functionalities running on docker.  
Each 'functional node-red instance' has it's own dev, acceptance en production install, en get new code (flow) releases through git repos.  
Most of the time we have a traefik reverse proxy sitting in front of those, to hide the port all the different instance are running on.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [11 February 2025 16:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-a-separate-instance-of-node-red-to-be-a-testing-environment-that-can-be-different-from-the-other-s/93082/8 "2025-02-11T16:31:23Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.