Nginx

Reverse Proxy Commands

Set up Nginx reverse proxy to backend applications, implement load balancing strategies, configure upstream health checks, and enable WebSocket proxying for real-time applications.

10 commands

Pro Tips

Always set proxy headers: `proxy_set_header Host $host;` and `proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;` for backend visibility.

Use upstream blocks with multiple servers for automatic load balancing and failover capabilities.

Enable WebSocket proxying with `proxy_http_version 1.1;` and `proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;` directives.

Configure `proxy_buffering off;` for streaming responses like SSE or long-polling to avoid delays.

Common Mistakes

By default, Nginx buffers responses. This can cause issues with streaming or real-time applications - adjust buffer settings accordingly.

The trailing slash in `proxy_pass` matters: `proxy_pass http://backend/` behaves differently than `proxy_pass http://backend`.

Commands

IP hash session persistence

$ upstream backend { ip_hash; server 127.0.0.1:3001; server 127.0.0.1:3002; }

Same client IP always reaches same backend

Least connections balancing

$ upstream backend { least_conn; server 127.0.0.1:3001; server 127.0.0.1:3002; }

Route to server with fewest active connections

Load balance round-robin

$ upstream backend { server 127.0.0.1:3001; server 127.0.0.1:3002; }

Distribute traffic across multiple backends

Weighted load balancing

$ upstream backend { server 127.0.0.1:3001 weight=3; server 127.0.0.1:3002 weight=1; }

Distribute traffic with custom weights

Health check with failover

$ server 127.0.0.1:3001 max_fails=3 fail_timeout=30s; server 127.0.0.1:3002 backup;

Mark server down after 3 failures with backup

Disable proxy buffering

$ proxy_buffering off; proxy_cache off;

Disable buffering for SSE or streaming

Reverse proxy to port 3000

$ proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;

Forward requests to backend app

Pass real IP to backend

$ proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;

Forward client IP to backend service

Proxy timeouts

$ proxy_connect_timeout 60s; proxy_send_timeout 60s; proxy_read_timeout 60s;

Set connection and read timeouts for backend

WebSocket proxy

$ proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade; proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

Enable WebSocket connections through proxy