Nginx · December 18, 2023

Nginx Command: server

Nginx Command: server

Nginx is a popular web server software that is known for its high performance, scalability, and flexibility. It is widely used to serve static content, reverse proxy, and load balance web applications. One of the key components of Nginx configuration is the server directive, which defines the behavior of the server for a specific domain or IP address.

Basic Syntax

The basic syntax of the server directive is as follows:

server {
    listen       <port>;
    server_name  <domain>;
    ...
}

The listen directive specifies the port on which the server should listen for incoming connections. It can be a specific port number, such as 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS, or a combination of IP address and port number.

The server_name directive defines the domain name or IP address that the server should respond to. It can be a specific domain name, such as example.com, or a wildcard, such as *.example.com, to match all subdomains.

Virtual Hosts

The server directive is commonly used to configure virtual hosts, which allow multiple websites to be hosted on a single server. Each virtual host can have its own server block with a unique server_name directive.

For example, to configure two virtual hosts for example.com and example.net, you can use the following configuration:

server {
    listen       80;
    server_name  example.com;
    ...
}

server {
    listen       80;
    server_name  example.net;
    ...
}

In this example, the first server block will handle requests for example.com, while the second server block will handle requests for example.net. Each virtual host can have its own set of directives, such as root to specify the document root directory and location to define specific URL patterns.

Default Server

In addition to virtual hosts, the server directive can also be used to define a default server that handles requests for unrecognized domains or IP addresses. This is useful when hosting multiple websites on a single server and you want to have a fallback server for any unmatched requests.

To configure a default server, you can use the following configuration:

server {
    listen       80 default_server;
    server_name  _;
    ...
}

In this example, the default_server parameter in the listen directive specifies that this server block should be used as the default server. The _ in the server_name directive is a wildcard that matches any domain or IP address that is not explicitly defined in other server blocks.

Conclusion

The server directive is a fundamental component of Nginx configuration that allows you to define the behavior of the server for specific domains or IP addresses. It is commonly used to configure virtual hosts and define a default server. By understanding and utilizing the server directive effectively, you can optimize the performance and scalability of your web applications.

Summary:

In summary, the server directive in Nginx is used to define the behavior of the server for specific domains or IP addresses. It is commonly used to configure virtual hosts and define a default server. Nginx is a high-performance web server software that is known for its scalability and flexibility. To learn more about Nginx and its capabilities, visit Server.HK.

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