The role of the web server is very important so that the website can run properly. Therefore, the selection of a web server must also be in accordance with the needs and performance so far. One of the web servers currently available is Nginx (read: engine-ex). Want to know what Nginx is?
So, in this article we will discuss various things related to the Nginx web server. Starting from what Nginx is, Nginx functions, advantages, and comparisons between Nginx and other web servers.
Have you ever wondered what Nginx is? Check out more below!
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a web server with reliable performance and has several other advanced features that are easy to configure. As a result, Nginx is able to make your website more powerful and sophisticated.
At its inception, Nginx was only used for HTTP servers. Along with the development of technology, now the Nginx web server is also used as an HTTP cache, load balancer (HTTP, TCP, and UDP), and proxy server (IMAP, POP3, and SMTP).
In addition to the capabilities above, the Nginx web server can also run on various operating systems, such as Linux, Mac OS X, HP-UX, BSD Variant, and Solaris.
The Nginx web server is a web server that is used in various large companies, including Atlassian, Intuit, T-Mobile, GitLab, Microsoft, Google, Adobe, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and many others.
Initially, Nginx was developed by Igor Sysoev (Software Engineer from Russia) and released in October 2014. At that time there was a problem known as C10k or a system performance problem when handling 10 thousand connections simultaneously. Igor tries to solve the problem.
So, Igor created Nginx which offers high concurrency usage that can handle thousands of concurrent connections with low memory usage. Through this technology, the Nginx web server has revolutionized how web servers work and has succeeded in becoming the most popular web server to date.
After opening the project publicly in 2004 and seeing its usage continue to grow, Igor tried to develop Nginx and enter the market with Nginx Plus. Nginx Plus is capable of handling hundreds or even thousands of connections and has been used by more than 500 business websites on the internet.
So, you already know what Nginx is and what its history is, right? Now is the time for you to learn how Nginx works. Scroll down, come on!
How Nginx Works?
As mentioned in the previous section, what the Nginx web server offers is low memory usage with high concurrency. So, Nginx does not create a new process when there is a request (web request), but is handled in one thread (asynchronous and event-driven approach).
If using Nginx, one main process (master process) can control many other processes (worker processes). So the main process continues to carry out its duties while controlling other processes under it. Because Nginx is asynchronous, each web request can be executed by another process without interrupting other web requests.
In carrying out its duties, the Nginx web server also has several features that can be utilized to support reliable web server performance such as:
1. Reverse proxy with cached processes
2. IPv6 support
3. Load balancing
4. Support FastCGI with cache process
5. WebSockets
6. Handling static files, index files, and auto-indexing
7. TLS/SSL Certificate with SNI (Server Name Indication)
Excess Nginx
Nginx is the most popular web server in its class and is a solution for sending website data with high traffic such as Dropbox, Netflix and Zynga. Here are other advantages offered by Nginx:
1. Nginx is a multifunctional tool.
Apart from being used as a web server, some of Nginx’s functions are as a load balancer, content cache, and proxy server. Since the entire configuration is centered on a single application, the monitoring process will be easier. This of course also minimizes the number of tools you manage.
2. Nginx can replace hardware load balancers.
In carrying out Nginx’s function as an open source load balancer software, this web server is indeed cheaper and easier to configure than a hardware load balancer.
The Nginx web server is also designed for modern cloud architectures. Nginx also supports on-the-fly reconfiguration and integrates with modern DevOps for easy monitoring.
3. There are various kinds of complete documentation.
If you are new to using the Nginx web server, don’t worry because Nginx is a web server that provides various kinds of tutorials, webinars, and quite complete documentation for you to learn.
If you are still confused with Nginx, but still want to use it, you can use Nginx Plus to get customer support facilities. So you can get help diagnosing issues that arise in Nginx.
4. Nginx is still being developed.
Nginx is a web server that is currently being developed seriously. Moreover, over the past decade Nginx has been at the forefront of modern web development and has driven the development of technologies from HTTP to microservices support.
Along with the development of web content delivery, this web server plans to add features so that there are no defects in sending data so that it can run Nginx functions perfectly. Nginx also recently announced it will implement Nginx-tailored JavaScript and support for dynamic modules.
That’s how Nginx works you need to know. However, knowing how the Nginx web server works is not enough, you also need to learn the differences from other web servers before deciding to use the web server.
Comparison of Nginx with Other Web Servers
There are several web servers available today besides Nginx such as Apache Web Server and LiteSpeed Web Server. In terms of its popularity, Nginx is a web server that is more well-known than the others, but in terms of performance it seems that Nginx has to do some development so that it can compete with LiteSpeed Web Server, especially when using WordPress.
How to Check the Web Server You Are Using
Don’t know what web server is used on the website? Relax, you can check it yourself. On a typical website, you can easily check the server’s HTTP header to see if the web server is using Apache, Nginx, or LiteSpeed Web Server.
If the browser you use is Google Chrome, the HTTP headers can be viewed by opening the Chrome Devtools tab. Alternatively, you can check headers using tools like Pingdom, GTMetrix, and HTTP Header Check.
However, some websites sometimes do not display the web server used. For example, when you do an analysis of a WordPress website that uses a proxy service like Cloudflare. Websites that use this kind of service will display an HTTP header with the name Cloudflare or the proxy service used, so it doesn’t display the original web server name.
Conclusion
Nginx is a powerful web server. Not only that, there are many Nginx functions that make it easier for users to manage proxy servers, load balancers, and also HTTP caches.
The greatness of Nginx is proven by the trust of various well-known websites, starting from Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, GitLab, and other big websites. All of these websites rely on Nginx as the web server on their website.
We hope that this article on what Nginx is and how it works can be of use to you. If you still have questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments column.
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