nginx
by nginx
NGINX is a high-performance, open source web server, load balancer, reverse proxy, API gateway, and content cache.
The official NGINX Open Source repository.
Primary Use Case
NGINX is primarily used to serve web content efficiently, balance load across servers, secure APIs, and manage SSL/TLS certificates. It is ideal for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and developers who need a reliable and scalable web infrastructure component that supports security automation and API security.
- High performance web server
- Load balancing and reverse proxy capabilities
- API gateway functionality
- Content caching for improved performance
- SSL/TLS certificate installation and management
- Modular architecture with static and dynamic modules
- Cross-platform support with official packages for major OS
- Open source with enterprise support available
Installation
- Download stable or mainline binaries from the official NGINX site
- Follow Linux binary installation process for Linux distributions
- Use FreeBSD installation process for FreeBSD systems
- Use Windows executables for Windows environments
- Optionally build from source by cloning the repository
- Install required dependencies before building from source
- Configure the build with desired modules
- Compile the source code
- Locate the binary and install it
- Run and test the installed binary
Usage
>_ nginx -s reloadReloads the NGINX configuration without downtime
>_ nginx -tTests the NGINX configuration for syntax errors
>_ nginx -vDisplays the NGINX version
>_ systemctl start nginxStarts the NGINX service on systemd-based systems
>_ systemctl stop nginxStops the NGINX service
>_ systemctl restart nginxRestarts the NGINX service
>_ openssl req -new -x509 -days 365 -nodes -out /etc/nginx/ssl/nginx.crt -keyout /etc/nginx/ssl/nginx.keyGenerates a self-signed SSL certificate for enabling TLS encryption
- Integrate NGINX with WAF modules to enhance API security and block exploitation attempts in real-time.
- Leverage NGINX's SSL/TLS certificate management to automate encryption, reducing attack surface from misconfigurations.
- Use NGINX load balancing and rate limiting features to mitigate denial-of-service attacks and improve resilience.
- Combine NGINX logs with SIEM tools to detect anomalous traffic patterns and enable faster incident response.
- Deploy NGINX in containerized environments with strict security policies to support DevSecOps pipelines and continuous security automation.
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