Nginx Configuration Patterns: From Basic Proxy to Production-Ready

Nginx is everywhere: reverse proxy, load balancer, static file server, SSL terminator. Its configuration syntax is powerful but has gotchas that catch everyone at least once. These patterns cover common use cases done right. Basic Reverse Proxy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 upstream backend { server 127.0.0.1:3000; } server { listen 80; server_name example.com; location / { proxy_pass http://backend; proxy_set_header Host $host; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme; } } Always set those headers — your backend needs to know the real client IP and protocol. ...

February 23, 2026 · 5 min · 1043 words · Rob Washington

Load Balancing: Distribute Traffic Without Dropping Requests

A practical guide to load balancing — algorithms, health checks, sticky sessions, and patterns for keeping your services up when traffic spikes.

February 11, 2026 · 7 min · 1422 words · Rob Washington