Configuring NGINX for Performance

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Configuring NGINX for Performance

It is important to get the most out of your resources, and while NGINX is a high-performance piece of software, there are still modifications that can make it faster. In this activity, the student will modify the configuration of NGINX to allow it to receive more connections, better utilize the server's CPU, and send fewer bytes to clients using compression. With modifications like these in place, you can be sure that you're getting more out of NGINX without needing to invest in additional hardware resources.

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Lab Info

Level

Beginner

Last updated

Sep 19, 2025

Duration

45m

Challenge

Enable GZIP Compression

The student is asked to globally configure NGINX to compress content returned to the client using GZIP.
Challenge

Enable Content Decompression

The student is asked to globally enable NGINX to decompress content from backend servers that was already compressed if the client needs/requests it without compression.
Challenge

Configure Worker Processes to Automatically Match the Number of CPU Cores

The student is asked to set the worker_processes so that they will match the number of CPU cores that are available regardless of the server being used.
Challenge

Adjust Worker Connections to Match the Hard nofile Limit

The student is asked to adjust the number of worker_connections to be equal to the hard nofile limit to allow NGINX to handle more requests.

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