Overview of Nginx

Introduction to Nginx

• Nginx is a software running on a server machine that can respond to requests from a browser.
• Initially used to assemble web pages and send them back to browsers.
• Created to handle increasing web traffic and became essential for load balancing.

Load Balancing with Nginx

• Load balancing distributes incoming web requests across multiple servers (e.g., 10 servers).
• Acts as a proxy: accepts browser requests and distributes them to web servers using algorithms like round-robin or least busy.

Features of Nginx Proxy

• Caching: Stores assembled static content (e.g., a news article) to avoid repeated database access.
• Security: Provides a single entry point reducing attack surface; focuses security efforts on one proxy server.
• SSL Encryption: Ensures encrypted communication; only encrypted traffic is accepted.
• Compression: Compresses large files (videos/images) to save bandwidth and speed up delivery.
• Chunked Transfer Encoding: Sends data in chunks to optimize delivery.

Configuration of Nginx

• Configuration file uses directives to define server behavior (web server or proxy server).
• Configurable aspects include ports, traffic routing (HTTP to HTTPS), SSL certificates, load balancing algorithms, and caching duration.
• Highly granular and flexible, allowing detailed customization.

Nginx in Container and Cloud Environments

• Popular for Kubernetes as an Ingress controller for advanced load balancing and proxy functionalities within clusters.
• Works alongside cloud load balancers (e.g., AWS) for incoming public requests.
• Provides security by routing traffic through load balancer and Ingress controller.

Nginx vs. Apache Web Server

• Both serve as web servers and proxies.
• Nginx is more efficient, lightweight, and faster in handling static files.
• Easier configuration process compared to Apache.

Conclusion

• Nginx is versatile and essential for modern web architecture.
• Provides robust solutions for load balancing, caching, security, and more.
• Widely used in containerized environments and alongside cloud infrastructure.