Favored by many as an alternative to Apache for HTTP and email applications (as well as load balancing and HTTP caching), Nginx is noted for its stability, scalability, high performance and ability to handle large numbers of connections (well over 10,000 requests at once) while using relatively low amounts of memory and other system resources.
In contrast to servers like Apache which use thread-based processing, Nginx owes its versatility to its asynchronous (event-driven) architecture, allowing it to process thousands of requests while maintaining low memory usage. Essentially, this architecture allows high-traffic websites to handle and transfer large volumes of data in multiple directions without compromising memory load, security or stability.
This allows content heavy websites to display quicker in an end-user’s browser. And, according to some developers, Nginx is not only faster, but is also more secure than its counterpart in Apache.
First developed in Russia in 2002 (and released in 2004) by Igor Sysoev, Nginx has grown to become one of the world’s most popular reverse proxy servers, hosting over 22 million active sites worldwide.
Over a third of the top 1000 websites are now using Nginx, according to w3techs.com.
Among the more noteworthy websites and companies utilizing the capabilities of Nginx are Pinterest, Dropbox, Hulu, Facebook, Zynga, PetSmart, Zappoz, FedEx, SoundCloud, Tumblr, Wordpress, EventBrite, Netflix, Groupon, and others.
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| Image Credits: marcqualie.com |
Apache, however, is still the Internet’s most dominant web server. First released in 1995, Apache has been the most popular server solution since the late 1990’s. But, thanks to new implementations, Nginx has slowly become the go-to standard for many website’s server solutions.
Some developers say that because it is newer, there is less support documentation on Nginx and that its simplicity means that it is not as easily customized as Apache and other web server solutions. But as more top level websites implement Nginx solutions, more documentation is surely to become available to the end user.
Apache has made improvements recently to increase its deliverable speed, but even with the advancements, Nginx is still a leaner and quicker server solution for many websites, especially amongst those with a large amount of static (or unchanging) content.
While initially developed and still available as an open-source application, a company called Nginx, Inc. was recently formed to offer official support and ongoing documentation updates. The new Nginx.com offers two paid “Plus” versions of the server to accommodate the higher-load needs of larger enterprises, corporations and even government agencies with high volumes of Internet traffic.
Because of the stability of Nginx, along with its versatility, security and ability to handle high traffic with a low memory footprint, a plethora of web design, development and other services are proud to utilize this reverse proxy server as a valuable tool for their clients’ websites.