Nginx · December 19, 2023

Nginx Tip - Use the fastcgi_no_cache directive for selective FastCGI non-caching

Nginx Tip - Use the fastcgi_no_cache directive for selective FastCGI non-caching

Nginx is a popular web server and reverse proxy server that is known for its high performance, scalability, and flexibility. It is commonly used to serve static content, handle SSL/TLS termination, and act as a load balancer. In addition to these features, Nginx also supports FastCGI, a protocol for interfacing external applications with web servers.

When using FastCGI with Nginx, caching can be a powerful tool to improve performance by storing the results of expensive computations or database queries. However, there are cases where you may want to bypass caching for certain requests. This is where the fastcgi_no_cache directive comes in handy.

Understanding the fastcgi_no_cache directive

The fastcgi_no_cache directive is used to control whether or not a response should be cached by Nginx when using FastCGI. By default, Nginx will cache responses from FastCGI applications unless instructed otherwise. However, there are situations where you may want to disable caching for specific requests.

The fastcgi_no_cache directive takes a boolean value, which can be set to true or false. When set to true, Nginx will not cache the response. When set to false, Nginx will cache the response as usual.

Using the fastcgi_no_cache directive

To use the fastcgi_no_cache directive, you need to add it to your Nginx configuration file within the location block that handles FastCGI requests. Here's an example:

location /fastcgi {
    fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/fastcgi.sock;
    fastcgi_no_cache $arg_no_cache;
    ...
}

In this example, the value of the fastcgi_no_cache directive is set based on the value of the no_cache query parameter. If the no_cache parameter is present and set to true, Nginx will not cache the response. If the no_cache parameter is not present or set to false, Nginx will cache the response as usual.

By using the fastcgi_no_cache directive, you have fine-grained control over which requests should be cached and which should not. This can be useful in scenarios where you have dynamic content that should not be cached, such as personalized pages or pages with user-specific data.

Conclusion

The fastcgi_no_cache directive in Nginx allows you to selectively disable caching for FastCGI requests. By using this directive, you can ensure that certain requests are always processed by the FastCGI application, without relying on cached responses. This can be particularly useful for dynamic content that should not be cached.

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