Is it correct to create two servers in the same Nodejs app with Express?

Question

I am creating a Nodejs application with Express and I am looking to observe all the "best practices" recommended for system security. In this system I’m thinking of having two open ports (but I don’t know if two ports are needed): 8080 port (for example) for normal HTTPS server service app, plus port 443 for secure communication via socket with specific clients that will be connected 100% of the time.

DOUBTS:

1) Is it necessary to have this second port for socket communication or can I do everything by a single port? That is, the application itself and the communication socket by the same port.

2) Since it is necessary to use two ports in the same application, I am thinking of creating a separate TLS server within the same application. My question is: Can I create the additional TLS server within the "www" file of my Express application? By default is already created an HTTP server inside the file "www" and thought to "hang" also a TLS server. It’s okay to do that in this file?

// Arquivo "WWW" do Express------------------
   // Servidor padrão do Express na porta 3000:
   var server = http.createServer(app);

Is there a problem if I do it too?

// Arquivo "WWW" do Express------------------
   // Servidor padrão do Express na porta 3000:
   var server = http.createServer(app);

   // Meu servidor TLS
   var server = tls.createServer(options, (socket) => {
     // Códigos deste servidor...

Answer 1

This practice is not wrong. It is ideal to have one service per port, so I would choose to create the websocket in another port, this is because the idea is to use TLS, so it would be more "separate".

An example of this is the Adonisjs framework, which allows you to create an http server and websocket server in the same application and with different controllers.

If you choose to do everything in one "system", use a different structure, for example, the same as Adonisjs.

If you want to read more about Adonisjs, click here.