Reverse Proxy Nginx Centos 7


Reverse Proxy Nginx Centos 7

What is a Reverse Proxy?

A reverse proxy is a type of proxy server that retrieves resources on behalf of a client from one or more servers. Reverse proxies are used to improve the security of a web server by filtering incoming requests and preventing direct access to the server’s resources. It is also used for caching static web pages and balancing the load between multiple web servers.

What is Nginx?

Nginx is an open source web server created by Igor Sysoev. It is designed to handle high traffic and complex web applications. Nginx is known for its light weight and low resource utilization compared to other web servers. It is used by major websites, such as WordPress, Reddit, GitHub, and Netflix. It is also used as a reverse proxy and offers load balancing, caching, media streaming, and more.

How to Install Nginx on CentOS 7

Before you can use Nginx as a reverse proxy, you must install it on your CentOS 7 server. To do this, you will need to add the official Nginx repository to your system. This can be done by running the command below:

sudo yum install epel-release

Once the repository is added, you can install Nginx by running the following command:

sudo yum install nginx

Once the installation is complete, you can start Nginx with the following command:

sudo systemctl start nginx

You can also enable it to start automatically when the system boots with the following command:

sudo systemctl enable nginx

Once Nginx is installed and running, you can proceed to set up your reverse proxy.

Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

To configure Nginx as a reverse proxy, you will need to create a configuration file in the /etc/nginx/conf.d directory. Generally, the filename should have the same name as the domain name of the application that you are proxying. For example, if you are proxying an application running on example.com, the configuration file should be named example.com.conf.

The simplest way to create the configuration file is to copy an example from the /etc/nginx/conf.d directory. The example below will proxy requests for http://example.com to an application listening on http://localhost:3000.

server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com;

location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
}
}

The above example can be customized to suit your needs. For example, you can add additional settings, such as caching, load balancing, and more.

Testing the Configuration

Once you have created the configuration file, you can test it by running the following command:

sudo nginx -t

If the configuration is valid, you will see the following message:

Syntax OK

If it is not valid, you will see an error message. If the configuration is valid, you can reload Nginx for the changes to take effect. This can be done with the following command:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have discussed how to set up a reverse proxy using Nginx on CentOS 7. We have also covered the steps required to configure the proxy and test the configuration. We hope this tutorial has been helpful to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Nginx?

A: Nginx is an open source web server created by Igor Sysoev. It is designed to handle high traffic and complex web applications.

Q: How do I install Nginx on CentOS 7?

A: Nginx can be installed by adding the official Nginx repository and running the command ‘yum install nginx’.

Q: How do I configure Nginx as a reverse proxy?

A: To configure Nginx as a reverse proxy, you will need to create a configuration file in the /etc/nginx/conf.d directory. You can use an example from the directory or customize it to suit your needs.

Q: How do I test the configuration?

A: You can test the configuration by running the command ‘nginx -t’. If the configuration is valid, you can reload Nginx for the changes to take effect.

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