Overview

This course provides a comprehensive guide to mastering NGINX, a high-performance HTTP server ideal for handling modern web traffic. Learn how to configure, optimize, and integrate NGINX in various environments, from traditional servers to cloud platforms. The content is designed to help you build scalable and secure web infrastructures with practical, real-world applications. Explore the power of NGINX with this guide covering an array of essential practical topics, including securing your infrastructure with automatic TLS certificates, placing NGINX in front of your existing applications, and much more. This course serves as a handy reference for all NGINX first-party modules and directives, allowing you to develop your own web configuration more efficiently. With detailed tutorials and real-life examples, it’s built to support you in implementing and scaling your infrastructure. The course is ideal for beginners and web administrators looking to enhance their infrastructure with NGINX. No prior NGINX experience is required, but a basic understanding of web servers and Linux is recommended. By the end, you'll be able to implement and optimize NGINX in various environments.

Syllabus

Downloading and Installing NGINX

In this section, we explore installing NGINX via package managers or compiling from source, configuring compile-time options, and setting up automatic startup for efficient and secure web server deployment.

Basic NGINX Configuration

In this section, we explore NGINX configuration syntax, basic module directives, and server validation through test pages to build a reliable web server setup.

Exploring the HTTP Configuration

In this section, we explore the NGINX HTTP core module, its directives, HTTP/2 settings, and location block modifiers to configure and optimize website hosting and request handling.

Exploring Module Configuration in NGINX

In this section, we explore NGINX module configuration, focusing on dynamic content handling, URL rewriting, and access control for efficient web server customization and optimization.

PHP and Python with NGINX

In this section, we explore NGINX integration with PHP-FPM and Python-Django, focusing on FastCGI configurations and performance optimization for dynamic web applications.

NGINX as a Reverse Proxy

In this section, we explore NGINX as a reverse proxy, covering proxy mechanisms, module configurations, and microservices optimization for improved web performance and scalability.

Introduction to Load Balancing and Optimization

In this section, we cover load balancing and thread pools to optimize server performance and traffic handling.

NGINX Within a Cloud Infrastructure

In this section, we explore NGINX integration with Docker in cloud infrastructure, focusing on proxy configurations, service orchestration, and scalable deployment practices.

Fully Deploy Manage and Auto-Update NGINX with Ansible

In this section, we cover deploying and auto-updating NGINX with Ansible, focusing on configuration management for scalable infrastructure.

Case Studies

In this section, we explore securing web services with SSL/TLS, configuring NGINX for HTTP/2, and deploying WordPress and Nextcloud for optimized performance and security.

Troubleshooting

In this section, we explore NGINX troubleshooting techniques, focusing on resolving configuration errors, 403 and 400 HTTP issues, and understanding log analysis for improved system reliability.