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(Image Credit: IBM)

Last month, IBM upped its Node.js expertise through announcing the acquisition of StrongLoop and their API experts in the server-side JavaScript environment. IBM has now shown the initial fruits of this decision with the introduction of Node.js debugging capabilities in their Bluemix PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service).

The new feature will make it easier for developers to debug their Node.js applications within a cloud environment using popular open source utilities like tty.js and node-inspector. "From my very first meetings with IBM, it became clear to me that they were an ideal partner for the next phase of expansion of StrongLoop and to speed the adoption of Node in the enterprise," said Juan Carlos Soto, CEO of StrongLoop.

He continues: "Together, IBM and StrongLoop will bring to market a stream of innovative Java and Node solutions that enable companies to build a new generation of microservices and APIs that are both scalable and secure."

The open-standards-based Bluemix catalog includes over 120 tools and services

Bluemix's new debugging functionality was built after IBM software engineers looked to debug their own Node.js applications. Whilst similar open-source utilities are common and readily-available on local machines, IBM has made it easier to connect a debugging tool in a cloud environment to avoid the often challenging and time-consuming process.

Developers can add the capability through defining a single Bluemix variable and undertaking a re-stage of the application. The feature can be found as part of App Management, a set of development and debugging utilities that can be enabled for Liberty and Node.js applications on Bluemix.

IBM launched Bluemix with a $1 billion investment in 2014, and it has since grown at a rapid pace to become the largest public Cloud Foundry deployment in the world. The open-standards-based Bluemix catalog includes over 120 tools and services spanning categories of big data, mobile, Watson, analytics, integration, DevOps, security, and the Internet of Things.

IBM Bluemix was recently shown to be the "developers’ choice" of PaaS and is growing 10-times faster than the overall PaaS market, according to research firm ESG. More information about the Node.js debugging solution and how-to instructions can be found on the Bluemix Developers Community blog.

Do you plan on making use of the Node.js debugging features in BlueMix? Let us know in the comments.