Nginx Reverse Proxy Apache Centos
Overview
Nginx is one of the most popular web servers on the internet, used by millions of people to host websites, applications, and services. It is an open-source web server developed and maintained by the Nginx team, and it is quite easy to configure and customize. One of the features of Nginx is the ability to act as a reverse proxy for other services such as Apache HTTPD and Apache Tomcat. Nginx is usually used on Linux systems, such as CentOS. In this tutorial, we will show you how to setup Nginx as a reverse proxy for Apache HTTPD on CentOS 7.
Prerequisites
In order to proceed through this tutorial, you will need the following:
- CentOS 7 installed on your server.
- A user account with root privileges, or access to the root user.
- Nginx installed and running on your server.
- Apache HTTPD installed and running on your server.
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
We will now begin the process of configuring Nginx as a reverse proxy. Before executing the following steps, make sure Nginx and Apache HTTPD are both running on your server. You can check the status of both services by executing the command below:
service nginx status
service httpd status
If either service is not running, start it by executing the command below:
service nginx start
service httpd start
Once both services are running, open the Nginx configuration file in your text editor:
vi /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
Add the following block to the bottom of the file:
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
}
}
Save and close the file. Once this is done, reload Nginx with the command below:
service nginx reload
Now that the Nginx reverse proxy is configured, we need to configure Apache to listen on port 8080. Apache is configured by editing the httpd.conf file. Open the file with your text editor:
vi /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf
Add the following line at the end of the file:
Listen 8080
Save and close the file, then reload Apache:
service httpd reload
Now that Nginx and Apache HTTPD are both configured, we can test our setup. Visit the URL http://example.com/ in your browser, where example.com is the domain or IP address of your server. You should be presented with the default Apache HTTPD index page. If so, your Nginx reverse proxy is now functioning properly.
Nginx Reverse Proxy using Stream Module
Nginx also offers a Stream module which is used for proxying data from one source to another without having to modify the response data. This is useful for proxying traffic from Nginx to other services or from those services to Nginx. To use this module, add the following block to your Nginx configuration file:
stream {
upstream example_backend {
server localhost:8080;
}
server {
listen 80;
proxy_pass example_backend;
}
}
Save and close the file, then reload Nginx with the following command:
service nginx reload
Now try accessing the URL http://example.com again in your browser. You should still be presented with the Apache HTTPD index page.
Security Considerations
When using Nginx as a reverse proxy, it is important to remember to enable basic authentication mechanisms such as using htpasswd files, since the proxied services (in our case, Apache HTTPD) will not be visible from the outside world, and thus will not be able to enforce authentication.
It is also recommended that you use HTTPS instead of HTTP, as this will ensure that all traffic is encrypted and secure.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we covered how to configure Nginx as a reverse proxy for Apache HTTPD on CentOS 7. We also discussed how to use the Nginx Stream module for proxying traffic from Nginx to other services. Finally, we discussed some security considerations for using Nginx as a reverse proxy. We hope you have found this tutorial useful.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs):
- What is a reverse proxy?
- How do I configure Nginx as a reverse proxy?
- Do I need to use HTTPS when using Nginx as a reverse proxy?
- How do I test my Nginx reverse proxy setup?
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Answers:
-
A reverse proxy is a type of proxy server which accepts requests from clients and routes them to the desired destination on behalf of the client. It is usually used to improve the performance and security of websites, by allowing the web server to interact with the web client without having direct access to the client’s IP address.
-
To configure Nginx as a reverse proxy, you can edit the nginx.conf file and add the necessary configuration options. You may also utilize the stream module for proxying traffic from Nginx to other services.
-
Yes, it is highly recommended that you use HTTPS instead of HTTP when using Nginx as a reverse proxy, as this will ensure that traffic is encrypted and secure.
-
To test your Nginx reverse proxy setup, simply visit the URL of the reverse proxy in your web browser and it should direct you to the desired destination.
Thank you for reading this article. If you found this article helpful, please read our other articles on Nginx and Linux administration.
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