Alternatives for Deploying Django with ASGI Servers

Django with Hypercorn

1. Install Hypercorn
   

   Use pip to install Hypercorn:

   pip install hypercorn
   

2. Configure Django ASGI application
   

   Django projects use ASGI applications for handling asynchronous requests. Ensure your Django project has an asgi.py file at the project root. This file defines the ASGI application object (application).

   # asgi.py
   import os
   
   from django.core.asgi import get_asgi_application
   
   os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', '<your_project_name>.settings')
   
   application = get_asgi_application()
   

   Replace <your_project_name> with your actual project name.

3. Run Django with Hypercorn
   

   Navigate to your project directory in the terminal and run the following command:

   hypercorn <your_project_name>.asgi:application
   

   This command tells Hypercorn to use the ASGI application defined in <your_project_name>.asgi:application.

• Integrate Hypercorn with process managers like systemd for automatic startup and management in production.
• Consider using a production-ready WSGI server like Gunicorn in front of Hypercorn for additional features like process management and hot reloading.

---

asgi.py (Basic)

# asgi.py
import os

from django.core.asgi import get_asgi_application

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', '<your_project_name>.settings')

application = get_asgi_application()

This code defines the basic ASGI application for your Django project. It retrieves the settings module using os.environ.setdefault and then uses get_asgi_application to create the application object.

asgi.py (With Custom Settings)

# asgi.py
import os

def get_asgi_application():
  """ Function to get the ASGI application with custom logic (optional)

  You can add environment checks or custom configuration here before
  creating the application.
  """
  os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', '<your_project_name>.settings')
  return get_asgi_application()

application = get_asgi_application()

This version allows for some customization before creating the application. You can perform checks or additional configuration within the get_asgi_application function.

hypercorn.config.py (Basic Configuration)

# hypercorn.config.py
BIND = "0.0.0.0:8000"  # Listen on all interfaces, port 8000
WORKERS = 3  # Adjust worker count based on your needs

This configuration file defines two basic settings for Hypercorn:

• WORKERS: Sets the number of worker processes to handle requests concurrently (adjust based on your system resources).
• BIND: Specifies the address and port to listen on (here, all interfaces on port 8000).

Running Hypercorn with configuration

hypercorn hypercorn.config:application

This command uses the configuration file hypercorn.config.py and specifies the application object to run.

---

Alternative ASGI Servers

• Daphne
  Designed specifically for running Django Channels applications that require WebSocket support. Use Daphne if your Django project utilizes real-time features.
• Uvicorn
  This is another popular ASGI server known for its simplicity and speed. It's a good choice for development and low-traffic deployments. It's included by default in some Django project templates.

Traditional WSGI Servers with ASGI Adapter

• Gunicorn
  A mature and production-ready WSGI server commonly used with Django. It offers features like process management, hot reloading, and worker configuration. You can use Gunicorn with an ASGI adapter like daphne for WebSocket support in combination with Django Channels.

Additional Options

• WSGI Servers (No ASGI Support)
  Traditional WSGI servers like Nginx or Apache require additional configuration to handle Django applications. This approach might be more complex for modern Django deployments.
• Django Development Server
  This built-in server is suitable for local development but not recommended for production due to performance limitations.

Choosing the Right Option

The best alternative depends on your specific requirements:

• Production with High Traffic
  Gunicorn with Hypercorn for maximum performance is a common choice.
• Production with WebSockets
  Consider Daphne with Gunicorn for process management.
• Development
  Uvicorn or the built-in Django development server are good options for local development.