Nginx Performance Tune

Add New Header (Cache-Control)

Add some header for special goal

http {

  include mime.types;

  server {

    listen 80;
    server_name 127.0.0.1;

    root /tmp/nginx/site/demo;


    location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    location ~* \.(css|js|jpg|png)$ {
        access_log off;
        add_header my_header "My Header";
        add_header Cache-Control public;
        add_header Pragma public;
        add_header Vary Accept-Encoding;
        expires 1M; # expire cache after 1 minute
    }

  }
}

Compressed Responses with GZIP

Request with extra header

curl -H "Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate" <http://127.0.0.1/style.css>

Note: modern browser can support this feature, curl does not support in this example

Check the file size

curl <http://127.0.0.1/style.css> > style.css
curl -H "Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate" <http://127.0.0.1/style.css> > style.min.css

gzip configuration directive

worker_processes auto;

events {
  worker_connections 1024;
}

http {

  include mime.types;

  gzip on;
  gzip_comp_level 3;

  gzip_types text/css;
  gzip_types text/javascript;

  server {

    listen 80;
    server_name 127.0.0.1

    root /sites/demo;

    location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

  }
}

Fast CGI Cache

Request to check

curl -I <http://127.0.0.1> X-Cache: HIT response header

curl -I <http://127.0.0.1?skipcache=1> X-Cache: BYPASS response header

user www-data;

worker_processes auto;

events {
  worker_connections 1024;
}

http {

  include mime.types;

  # Configure microcache (fastcgi)
  fastcgi_cache_path /tmp/nginx_cache levels=1:2 keys_zone=ZONE_1:100m inactive=60m;
  fastcgi_cache_key "$scheme$request_method$host$request_uri";
  add_header X-Cache $upstream_cache_status;

  server {

    listen 80;
    server_name 167.99.93.26;

    root /sites/demo;

    index index.php index.html;

    # Cache by default
    set $no_cache 0;

    # Check for cache bypass
    if ($arg_skipcache = 1) {
      set $no_cache 1;
    }

    location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    location ~\.php$ {
      # Pass php requests to the php-fpm service (fastcgi)
      include fastcgi.conf;
      fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php7.1-fpm.sock;

      # Enable cache
      fastcgi_cache ZONE_1;
      fastcgi_cache_valid 200 60m;
      fastcgi_cache_bypass $no_cache;
      fastcgi_no_cache $no_cache;
    }
  }
}

HTTP2

HTTP2 Main Feature

• Binary Protocol
• Compressed Headers
• Persistent Connections
• Multiplex Streaming
• Server Push

Install HTTP2 over nginx

Install nginx via package manager

Debian

 sudo apt install nginx

Redhat base

sudo yum install nginx

Build from Source

add the following instruction and also check the dependency module

--with_http_ssl_module
--with_http_v2_module

make
make install

Active SSL for HTTP2

- Generate 'self-sign' and 'private-key'
- mkdir -p /etc/nginx/ssl
- sudo openssl req -x509 -days 365 -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout /etc/nginx/ssl/self.key -out /etc/nginx/ssl/self.crt
- add 'listen' 443 ssl http2; 'ssl_certificate', 'ssl_certificate_key' to 'nginx.conf'

Add SSL directive to nginx.conf

worker_processes auto;

events {
  worker_connections 1024;
}

http {

  include mime.types;

  server {

    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name 127.0.0.1;

    root /sites/demo;

    ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/ssl/self.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/self.key;

    location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
  }
}

Server Push

Describe: push the resources /style.css and /thumb.png to the index.html request (all together into the one request)

worker_processes auto;

events {
  worker_connections 1024;
}

http {

  include mime.types;

  server {

    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name 127.0.01;

    root /tmp/nginx/site/demo;

    ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/ssl/self.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/self.key;

    location = /index.html {
      http2_push /style.css;
      http2_push /thumb.png;
    }

    location / {
      try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

  }

}

Tips: test via nghttp2 tool

sudo nghttp -nysa <https://127.0.0.1>