Creating a Module Federation Host

A host is the term within Module Federation given to an application that loads and consumes federated modules from remotes. At build time, these modules do not exist and are instead fetched via a network request and executed at runtime. It can be likened to a modern-day approach to iframes.
A host can be configured to know the location of the federated modules at build time (called Static Federation) or it can employ a mechanism to discover the location of the federated modules at runtime, usually on startup (called Dynamic Federation).

Nx includes first-class support for helping you to scaffold a Module Federation Architecture for your React and Angular application(s).

Generating a Host

To generate only a host application in your workspace, run the following command:

React

nx g @nx/react:host apps/react/shell

NX  Generating @nx/react:host

CREATE apps/react/shell/src/app/app.spec.tsx
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/environments/environment.prod.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/environments/environment.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/index.html
CREATE apps/react/shell/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/react/shell/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/.babelrc
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/app/nx-welcome.tsx
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/app/app.module.css
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/app/app.tsx
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/react/shell/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/react/shell/project.json
CREATE apps/react/shell/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/react/shell/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/bootstrap.tsx
CREATE apps/react/shell/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/react/shell/webpack.config.prod.ts

Angular

nx g @nx/angular:host apps/angular/shell

NX Generating @nx/angular:host

CREATE apps/angular/shell/project.json
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/index.html
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/angular/shell/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/angular/shell/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/app.css
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/app.html
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/app.spec.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/app.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/app.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/app/nx-welcome.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/angular/shell/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/test-setup.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/angular/shell/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/webpack.prod.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/shell/src/bootstrap.ts

Scaffold a Host with Remotes

To scaffold a host application along with remote applications in your workspace, run the following command:

React

nx g @nx/react:host apps/react/with-remotes/shell --remotes=remote1,remote2

NX  Generating @nx/react:host

CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.spec.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/environments/environment.prod.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/environments/environment.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/index.html
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/.babelrc
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/app/nx-welcome.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.module.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/project.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/bootstrap.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/shell/webpack.config.prod.ts

CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/app/app.spec.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/environments/environment.prod.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/environments/environment.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/index.html
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/.babelrc
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/app/nx-welcome.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/app/app.module.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/app/app.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/project.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/bootstrap.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/src/remote-entry.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote1/webpack.config.prod.ts

UPDATE tsconfig.base.json

CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/app/app.spec.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/environments/environment.prod.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/environments/environment.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/index.html
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/.babelrc
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/app/nx-welcome.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/app/app.module.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/app/app.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/project.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/bootstrap.tsx
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/src/remote-entry.ts
CREATE apps/react/with-remotes/remote2/webpack.config.prod.ts

Angular

nx g @nx/angular:host apps/angular/with-remotes/shell --remotes=remote1,remote2

> NX Generating @nx/angular:host

CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/project.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/index.html
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.css
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.html
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.spec.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/app.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/app/nx-welcome.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/test-setup.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/webpack.prod.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/shell/src/bootstrap.ts

CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/project.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/index.html
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/app/app.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/app/app.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/test-setup.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/app/remote-entry/entry.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/app/remote-entry/entry.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/app/remote-entry/nx-welcome.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/webpack.prod.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote1/src/bootstrap.ts

UPDATE tsconfig.base.json

CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/project.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/assets/.gitkeep
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/favicon.ico
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/index.html
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/styles.css
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/tsconfig.app.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/tsconfig.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/app/app.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/app/app.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/main.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/.eslintrc.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/jest.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/test-setup.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/tsconfig.spec.json
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/app/remote-entry/entry.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/app/remote-entry/entry.routes.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/app/remote-entry/nx-welcome.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/module-federation.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/webpack.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/webpack.prod.config.ts
CREATE apps/angular/with-remotes/ng-remote2/src/bootstrap.ts

Serving your Host

Your host application acts like any other application in the context of Nx, and therefore serving it locally is as simple as running:

nx serve shell

When you serve your host, Nx will discover any dependent remote applications that are also in the workspace and serve them statically. To learn more about check out our in-depth breakdown of what happens when you serve your host.

Building your Host

In the same vein, you can build your host by running:

nx build shell

To support Independent Deployability host applications do not have implicitDependencies set in their project.json. If you want to build all your remotes when you build your host, add implicitDependencies to your host's project.json with each remote listed:

{
  ...,
  "implicitDependencies": ["remote1", "remote2"]
}