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Nginx HTTP Server
Nginx HTTP Server

Nginx HTTP Server: Harness the power of Nginx to make the most of your infrastructure and serve pages faster than ever before , Fourth Edition

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Paperback Feb 2018 348 pages 4th Edition
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Paperback Feb 2018 348 pages 4th Edition
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Nginx HTTP Server

Basic Nginx Configuration

In this chapter, we will begin to establish an appropriate configuration for your web server. For this purpose, we need to first discover the syntax that is used in the Nginx configuration files. Then we need to understand the various directives that will let you prepare and optimize your web server for different traffic patterns and hardware setups. Finally, we will create some test pages to make sure that everything has been done correctly and that the configuration is valid. We will only approach basic configuration directives here. The following chapters will detail more advanced topics, such as HTTP module configuration and usage, creating virtual hosts, and more.

This chapter covers the following topics:

  • Presentation of the configuration syntax
  • Basic configuration directives
  • Establishing an appropriate configuration for your profile
  • Serving a test...

Configuration file syntax

A configuration file is generally a text file that is edited by the administrator and parsed by a program. By specifying a set of values, you define the behavior of the program. In Linux-based operating systems, the majority of applications rely on vast, complex configuration files which often turn out to be a nightmare to manage. Apache, Qmail, and Bind—all of these names bring up bad memories in the mind of a Linux system administrator.

The fact is that all of these applications use their own configuration files with different syntaxes and styles. PHP works with a Windows-style .ini file, Sendmail uses the M4 macro-processor to compile configuration files, Zabbix pulls its configuration from a MySQL database, and so on. There is, unfortunately, no well-established standard, and the same applies to Nginx—you will be required to study a...

Base module directives

In this section, we will take a closer look at the base modules. We are particularly interested in answering two questions: what are base modules? And what directives are made available?

What are base modules?

The base modules offer directives that allow you to define parameters of the basic functionality of Nginx. They cannot be disabled at compile time, and as a result, the directives and blocks they offer are always available. Three base modules are distinguished:

  • Core module: Essential features and directives, such as process management and security
  • Events module: Lets you configure the inner mechanisms of the networking capabilities
  • Configuration module: Enables the inclusion mechanism

These modules...

Testing your server

At this point, you have configured several basic directives that affect the core functioning of Nginx. We will perform a simple test to ensure that all is working as expected, and that you are ready to further configure and deploy your websites.

Creating a test server

In order to perform simple tests, such as connecting to the server with a web browser, we need to set up a website for Nginx to serve. A test page comes with the default package in the html folder (/usr/local/nginx/html/index.html) and the original nginx.conf is configured to serve this page. Here is the section that we are interested in for now:

http { 
    include       mime.types; 
    default_type  application/octet-stream; 
    sendfile...

Summary

This chapter provided a first approach to the configuration architecture by studying the syntax and the core module directives that have an impact on the overall server performance. We then went through a series of adjustments in order to fit your own profile, followed by performance tests that have probably led you to fine-tune some more.

This is just the beginning, though. Practically everything that we will be doing from now on is to prepare configuration sections. The next chapter will detail more advanced directives by further exploring the module system and the exciting possibilities that are offered to you.

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Key benefits

  • Discover possible interactions between Nginx and Apache to get the best of both worlds
  • Learn to exploit the features offered by Nginx for your web applications
  • Get your hands on the most updated version of Nginx (1.13.2) to support all your web administration requirements

Description

Nginx is a lightweight HTTP server designed for high-traffic websites, with network scalability as the primary objective. With the advent of high-speed internet access, short loading times and fast transfer rates have become a necessity. This book is a detailed guide to setting up Nginx in ways that correspond to actual production situations: as a standalone server, as a reverse proxy, interacting with applications via FastCGI, and more. In addition, this complete direct reference will be indispensable at all stages of the configuration and maintenance processes. This book mainly targets the most recent version of Nginx (1.13.2) and focuses on all the new additions and improvements, such as support for HTTP/2, improved dynamic modules, security enhancements, and support for multiple SSL certificates. This book is the perfect companion for both Nginx beginners and experienced administrators. For beginners, it will take you through the complete process of setting up this lightweight HTTP server on your system and configuring its various modules so that it does exactly what you need quickly and securely. For more experienced administrators, this book provides different approaches that can help you make the most of your current infrastructure. Nginx can be employed in many situations, whether you are looking to construct an entirely new web-serving architecture or simply want to integrate an efficient tool to optimize your site loading speeds.

Who is this book for?

This book is a perfect match to web administrators who are interested in solutions to optimize their infrastructure. Whether you are looking into replacing your existing web server software or integrating a new tool to cooperate with applications that are already up and running, this book is your ideal resource.

What you will learn

  • • Download and install Nginx on your system
  • • Prepare a basic configuration and test your initial setup
  • • Discover the core functionality of the HTTP module
  • • Make the most of first- and third-party Nginx modules
  • • Set up Nginx to work with PHP, Python, and other applications
  • • Learn how to set up Nginx to work with Apache
  • • Fully replace Apache with Nginx
  • • Optimize your architecture with threads or load balancing
  • • Identify errors in configuration and learn basic troubleshooting techniques
  • • Consult the exhaustive directive and module index for reference

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Feb 14, 2018
Length: 348 pages
Edition : 4th
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788623551
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Product Details

Publication date : Feb 14, 2018
Length: 348 pages
Edition : 4th
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788623551
Languages :
Concepts :
Tools :

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Table of Contents

12 Chapters
Downloading and Installing Nginx Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Basic Nginx Configuration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
HTTP Configuration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Module Configuration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
PHP and Python with Nginx Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Nginx as an Application Server Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Apache and Nginx Together Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
From Apache to Nginx Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Introduction to Load Balancing and Optimization Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Case Studies Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Troubleshooting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.6
(8 Ratings)
5 star 50%
4 star 12.5%
3 star 0%
2 star 25%
1 star 12.5%
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Amazon Customer Jan 03, 2020
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is a must have, a reference I keep going back to for nginx
Amazon Verified review Amazon
J. Bennett Mar 11, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Great comprehensive guide for NGINX. Covers package or source installation, configuration, and details some of the common configuration examples: php/python, interfacing or replacing Apache. Covers NGINX, NGINX Plus (subscription) being a different install.Pros:- Rapid install of NGINX- Comprehensive configuration, explaining the details of various settings- Addresses common setups, stand alone, interface to Apache, php/python- Case Study includes Wordpress and OwnCloudCons:- Does not detail sites-available & sites-enabled. (May be OS specific, ubuntu 16.04)- Does not provide much guidance on security & system hardening. (SSL/TLS Configuration specifics, redirect http to https & vulnerability TLS with gzip)
Amazon Verified review Amazon
vim_usr Jan 22, 2021
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
All the nay sayers on Amazon are rediculous. "The first chapter talks about installing Nginx from the website--most people will just install a package." That's one lazy assumption. The reality is you CAN install a package of nginx, but you SHOULD KNOW how to install nginx from source to get the latest version, you should also understand the runlevels of a Linux system, how system services actually work--all of which is covered in the first chapter. The fact that the author felt the need to address this important topic makes this book stand out, and is absolutely great. The fact that people whine about doing things the "hard way" is...well actually kind of sad. It's a great book, and starts out on the right foot.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Jesse Glass May 31, 2021
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I'm giving this 5 stars simply based on the first chapter. Why?If I'm honest, the 5 stars have NOTHING to do with Nginx per se (I'm only on page 20)However, I learned concepts that are applicable to ALL of Linux (not just Nginx) that have been nagging me for 2 years since I first started learning the OS, they are:1) what the heck is GCC and how/why would I use it2) how to view source code files for a binary BEFORE they are compiled3) modifying config file directives for binary files4) what the "make" command is actually for5) what PCRE is simply put6) better handle on the apt-cache command (I use Kali as my go-to)Is it unreasonable to give 5 stars to a book before you've even finished it? Perhaps, but I'm so happy based on the first 20 pages alone that I'll give it 5 stars anywayI may update this review when I finish, who knows
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Just Some Guy Aug 20, 2022
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Disclaimer - I'm brand new to Nginx, so I don't claim authority on it, at all. Further, this book was published in 2018 and it's now 2022. That said, I enjoyed this book, and found it to be a great intro to Nginx. It's _clearly_ out of date (this book cover Nginx mainline version 1.13.8 – and today's mainline is 1.21.6), but I don't expect that many of the fundamentals at the core of the server have changed much in the past 4 years (I may be wrong, time will tell).The book is a quick and easy read - I read it cover to cover in 2 days. Now mind you, I didn't actually try implementing anything, but just reading the book was quick and easy (which is how I like to approach new technologies, to get an overview of the possibilities before getting my hands dirty).It explains how to install on various systems via the normal package managers, but then goes into detail about how to build from source, which is important since Nginx doesn't support dynamic module configuration/loading at runtime the way Apache does. Any custom modules you want to run must be built in to your executable, and the book starts out with a detailed explanation of how to get that done.The rest of the book mostly covers the core Nginx modules, along with some of the most popular optional ones. The last few chapters get into some useful real-world examples - how to configure Nginx as a reverse proxy, as a load balancer, etc. The authors also walk thru a pretty decent comparison on Nginx vs. Apache (pros/cons of each), as well as a chapter each on how to use both together, or how to migrate an existing Apache setup to Nginx entirely.My biggest complaint about this book is that at least 1/3 of it is just long tables explaining all the various directives and options that various modules and config blocks support. These end up filling a lot of pages, and reading more like a reference manual than a guide book or tutorial. Those tables _do_ offer a lot of little tips on how to best use the various settings (and mistakes or gotchas to avoid) - but I wish there was a lot more sample code from real-world scenarios and tutorials/exercises to complement all the reference tables.Overall, I'm glad I bought this book. It makes me feel like I have a good starting foundation on Nginx - and since this remains the most current book available on Amazon right now (as far as I can tell), it was really my best option anyway! ...Now it's on to installing it, running tests in my local VM, and doing a whole lot of digging on tech blogs and the online docs. Good times.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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