Introductory NGINX course covering installation, configuration, TLS, performance, logging, debugging, and hands-on labs for deploying and operating NGINX in real-world environments.
NGINX is a cornerstone of modern web infrastructure — a high-performance, lightweight web server and reverse proxy that powers site delivery, load balancing, caching, and secure TLS termination. In this lesson I’ll introduce the core concepts, practical workflows, and troubleshooting techniques you need to deploy and operate NGINX in real-world environments.My name is Anthony, and I’m excited to guide you through this course. Expect hands-on exercises and examples that you can apply immediately to your own projects.
This lesson covers the course objectives and the basics of web servers, with an emphasis on why NGINX’s event-driven architecture, modular configuration, and ecosystem make it well-suited for high-traffic sites and modern microservices.
Course roadmap and objectives
Module
What you’ll learn
Key examples / commands
Install & Basic Configuration
Install NGINX, serve a static site, manage service lifecycle, basic firewall rules
This course emphasizes labs and practical exercises. You will configure live NGINX servers, secure traffic with TLS, tune performance settings, and read logs to diagnose issues. Always test config changes with nginx -t before reloading the service.
Operational data: NGINX logsBelow is an example excerpt from typical NGINX logs containing error entries and HTTP request lines. These logs are invaluable when troubleshooting missing files, 404s, proxy errors, or unexpected client behavior.
183,225 logs that match "source:nginx"DATE | HOST | SERVICEMay 16 16:02:02.000 fse-lomx-7r-18 fse-auto-process2018/05/18 22:01:02 error 12447#12447: *203 open /var/www/html/order/2480 failed (2: No such file or directory), client: 127.0.0.1, server: _, request: "GET /order/2480 HTTP/1.1"May 16 16:02:02.000 fse-lomx-7r-18 fse-auto-process2018/05/18 22:01:02 error 12447#12447: *202 open /var/www/html/send/notice failed (2: No such file or directory), client: 127.0.0.1, server: _, request: "GET /send/notice HTTP/1.1"GET /order/2480 HTTP/1.1GET /send/notice HTTP/1.1GET /pass/beanserver/refund/2480 HTTP/1.1GET /pass/beanserver/payment/ HTTP/1.1GET /pass/beanserver/payment/7794 HTTP/1.1GET /pass/beanserver/order/1884 HTTP/1.1GET /pass/beanserver/order/4943 HTTP/1.1GET /pass/welcome HTTP/1.1May 16 16:02:01.000 fse-lomx-7r-18 fse-auto-process2018/05/18 22:01:01 error 12447#12447: *186 open /var/www/html/bad failed (2: No such file or directory), client: 127.0.0.1, server: _, request: "GET /bad HTTP/1.1"
How to read these logs quickly:
Timestamp and host: when and where the event occurred.
Error level and PID: error 12447#12447 helps locate the process instance.
Message and file path: e.g., open /var/www/html/order/2480 failed (2: No such file or directory) indicates a missing resource on disk.
Client and request: client: 127.0.0.1 ... request: "GET /order/2480 HTTP/1.1" shows who requested what — useful for tracing 404s or suspicious access patterns.
Practical tips for log-driven debugging:
Use tail -F /var/log/nginx/error.log and tail -F /var/log/nginx/access.log in separate terminals while reproducing issues.
Combine with curl -v to see request/response behavior.
Check nginx -t to validate syntax after editing configurations, then systemctl reload nginx to apply changes safely.
Labs and communityThroughout this course you’ll complete labs that mirror real-world deployments: serving websites, configuring TLS, adding caching and rate limits, and performing log-based troubleshooting. At KodeKloud we value community learning — join fellow learners to ask questions, share solutions, and deepen your skills.Relevant resources:
