What is NGINX? Features, Benefits, and How It Works

Website performance, unbeatable security, and consistent scalability are non-negotiable in the modern online world. All businesses strive to deliver an out-of-the-box web experience.

That is where NGINX comes into the picture. NGINX helps enhance the scalability and security of your website and works better than traditional web servers. In this guide, we’ll explore what is NGINX, its core features, and why businesses worldwide choose it for their web infrastructure.

What is NGINX?

NGINX is a high-performance and lightweight web server that can service thousands of connections with minimal resource usage. NGINX was first created by Igor Sysoev in 2004 to address the C10K problem of serving 10,000+ concurrent connections effectively.

Web servers operate mostly on a traditional process model, such as Apache, but NGINX employs an event-driven and asynchronous model, which is more efficient and quicker.

With more than 35% of all websites using NGINX and a market share of 47.45% in the web and application servers market, it is one of the most popular web servers in the world. It is used by top sites like Netflix, Dropbox, Pinterest, Airbnb, WordPress.com, Yandex, etc.

Let us learn more about this service in this guide!

The NGINX Architecture

NGINX architecture is designed to be fast, reliable, and scalable. Unlike other web servers that open a new process or thread for each request, NGINX adopts an asynchronous and non-blocking approach.

Key Architectural Elements

• Master Process: Manages worker processes and reloads configurations without stopping.
• Worker Processes: Serve client requests through an event-driven process, with thousands of connections handled efficiently.
• Event-Based Handling: Utilises epoll (Linux) or kqueue (BSD) to handle maximum requests.
• Modular Design: Extendable with user-created modules for security features.

Is NGINX Beginner-Friendly?

NGINX is famous for its high-end features and enterprise-class capabilities. Despite its advanced benefits, it is easy for beginners to use with a simple configuration system.

Top advantages for beginners:

• NGINX has a clear NGINX.conf file that is easy to set up.
• It comes with huge guides to learn quickly.
• It has large support forums and community-created modules.

15 Top Features and Benefits of NGINX

Here are the top features and benefits that make NGINX improvise websites:

1. Single-Entry Point for Applications

NGINX simplifies web structure by acting as a single entry point for different services. It effectively controls incoming traffic and redirects it to corresponding backend applications with ease, thereby facilitating effortless user-server communication.

Benefit – Simplifies complexity in multi-service environments and scales web applications for easier management.

2. Load Balancing

NGINX loads balance incoming traffic to several backend servers, so one server doesn’t become a problem. This keeps web applications responsive and available even under heavy traffic.

It has multiple load-balancing algorithms, including:

• Round Robin: Spreads requests sequentially across servers.
• Least Connections: Directs traffic to the server with the lowest number of active connections.
• IP Hashing: Sends the same client to a persistent server for session persistence.

Benefit: Guarantees high uptime, avoids server overloads, and enhances user experience.

3. Access Control

NGINX provides administrators with the capability to control access to confidential information by adopting authentication, whitelisting, and rate limiting. It prevents unauthorised web application access and secures web applications from cyber-attacks.

Benefit: Assists organisations in applying rigorous security policies and protecting sensitive data.

4. Caching

NGINX stores dynamic and static data to reduce the server load and the page load time. It retains data that is frequently accessed to ensure that users have fast responses without burdening the backend servers.

Advantage: It increases the speed of the website, improves latency, and increases SEO ranking.

5. Server Block Configuration

NGINX allows a single server to host multiple domains or applications through server blocks (virtual hosts). Every domain has a separate configuration, which helps in preventing conflicts and improving resource control.

Benefit: NGINX helps in multi-site hosting without requiring individual servers.

6. URL Rewriting

NGINX provides adaptable URL rewriting, which allows administrators to modify request URLs. This improves user experience and SEO using simpler-to-read URLs.

Benefit: It helps businesses rank higher on search engines and improve navigation.

7. SSL/TLS Configuration

Security is assured, and NGINX promotes secure data transport with full-fledged SSL/TLS support. It also has features like:

• OCSP stapling: Reduces the time needed to validate SSL certificates.
• SNI or Server Name Indication: Supports serving multiple SSL certificates on one server.
• HTTPS redirection: Automatically redirects visitors to secure URLs of your website.

Benefit: Secures sensitive user information and adheres to security best practises.

8. Compression

NGINX supports Gzip and Brotli compression, which helps in minimising the size of transmitted data. This makes websites load faster.

Benefit: Improves site performance and saves bandwidth, especially for mobile users.

9. Multiple Backend Support

NGINX is integrated with different backend applications such as Python, Ruby, PHP, Node.js, and Java. This becomes a powerful solution for microservices and enterprise applications.

Benefit: Avoids incompatibility with modern web development frameworks.

10. Reverse Proxying

NGINX is a reverse proxy that forwards client requests to backend servers. This improves performance, security, and load distribution. hence, it offers an uninterrupted user experience.

Benefit:  Reduces backend load, accelerates responses, and conceals server information for security.

11. A/B Testing

NGINX supports traffic splitting, which helps organisations test multiple versions of their website. This can further assist in assessing key metrics like user interaction and conversion rates.

Benefit:  Assists in optimising content, structure, and user interactions for greater engagement.

12. Error Handling

NGINX lets administrators understand and modify 404, 500, or 503 error pages with informative messages instead of using default error pages.

Benefit: Enhances user retention and minimises bounce rates.

13. Integrated Logging

NGINX consolidates logging from different sources with comprehensive details regarding server performance and security breaches.

Benefit:  Allows professionals to monitor, debug, and fine-tune web server operation.

14. Scalability and Fault Tolerance

NGINX can serve millions of concurrent connections with the stability and responsiveness of web applications. This is also applicable for high loads. Fault-tolerant features prevent disruption of service in case a single server is down.

Advantage:  Suited for businesses that experience varied traffic requirements.

15. Performance Tuning using Logging and Monitoring

NGINX offers rich logging and has integration support with tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK Stack. This offers real-time monitoring of server performance.

Benefit:  Enables proactive problem-solving and performance tuning.

Best Practises for NGINX Usage

Implement the following best practices to maximise the benefits of NGINX:

• Optimise Configuration Settings

Utilise worker_processes auto to allow NGINX to adjust the number of worker processes according to CPU cores. Configure worker_connections suitably to manage concurrent connections effectively.

• Configure Load Balancing

Employ round-robin or least-connected algorithms to distribute traffic among multiple servers. Activate health checks to allow only healthy servers to process requests.

• Activate Caching

Utilise fastcgi_cache and proxy_cache to cache frequently accessed content. Minimise server response time and enhance user experience.

• Secure NGINX using SSL/TLS.

Use Let’s Encrypt SSL to enable free HTTPS encryption. Apply HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to defend against security attacks.

• Enable DDoS Protection

Utilise rate limiting to limit requests from every client and enable fail2ban to automatically block malicious IPs.

• Log and Monitor Optimisation

Configure access logs and error logs for performance data. Employ monitoring tools such as NGINX Amplify, Prometheus, or Grafana for real-time performance metrics.

• Optimise Compression

Turn on gzip or Brotli compression to reduce file sizes. Serve optimised content for better website speed and SEO ranking.

• Implement a Reverse Proxy

Forward backend server requests to shield sensitive application data and limit direct server exposure to outside threats.

• Implement Automatic Backups

Back up NGINX configuration files automatically to avoid data loss. Utilise tools like rsync or cron jobs for scheduling backups.

• Keep NGINX Current

Regularly check for the latest security patches and feature releases. Execute nginx -v to verify the newest version and update accordingly.

Wrapping Up

NGINX is a dynamic web server that hosts some of the largest websites in the world. This guide helps you understand what is NGINX and how it benefits organisations with its ultimate features. NGINX offers unbeatable performance if you are looking for quicker load times and better website security.

At Crazy Domains, the experts are employed to provide enterprise-class hosting services so your site runs effortlessly with zero downtime and maximum protection.

Start your journey today, learn more about NGINX, and supercharge your online presence!