Nginx cache in memory It periodically checks file storage and removes least recently used data if the file size exceeds max_size. What is in-memory caching? In-memory caching is a technique that allows Nginx to cache content to memory instead of a disk. (Hyper-Cache doesn’t require changes to NGINX configuration. In this blog post, we will explore various caching strategies you can use with Nginx to optimize your website for Oct 9, 2023 · Optimizing Nginx for Performance: Strategies for Maximum Efficiency When it comes to serving web content efficiently and reliably, Nginx is a standout performer. fastcgi_cache_use_stale: Makes Nginx’s cache memory more robust. Jun 24, 2021 · So, the issue I am currently facing is that NGINX on my system keeps caching huge video files in memory when a HTTP request is made. As with any performance optimization technique, it’s essential to monitor and adjust your caching strategy over time to ensure optimal results. When properly tuned, Nginx can efficiently serve thousands of concurrent connections with minimal memory footprint. Feb 10, 2025 · Overview This document covers information about caching in NGINX® with reverse proxy. 8 containers with simple proxy + disk cache configuration: We're giving container 1GB of memory as limit. When caching is enabled, F5 NGINX Plus saves responses in a disk cache and uses them to respond to clients without having to proxy requests for the same content every time. Aug 19, 2022 · Nginx is a free open-source web server with high performance and low weight, used as a load balancer, reverse proxy, HTTP cache and mail proxy. The ngx_http_upstream_module module is used to define groups of servers that can be referenced by the proxy_pass, fastcgi_pass, uwsgi_pass, scgi_pass, memcached_pass, and grpc_pass directives. NGINX doesn't cache responses if proxy_buffering is set to off as well. You’ll learn how to clear NGINX cache with ease, ensuring your web applications stay … Apr 28, 2025 · Now I have done a preliminary exploration of the nginx source code and suspect this is not held in memory at all in nginx oss. With the default configuration of Nginx, you may get fast performance, but we can increase the performance of Nginx even more by I want to set up Nginx as a caching reverse proxy in front of Apache/Django: to have Nginx proxy requests for some (but not all) dynamic pages to Apache, then cache the generated pages and serve subsequent requests for those pages from cache. 15. Jul 28, 2013 · How to speed up delivery for static files with nginx? (Cache them in memory?) Asked 12 years, 3 months ago Modified 8 years, 1 month ago Viewed 16k times Sep 20, 2024 · The following steps outline how to configure caching with NGINX: Step 1: Enable Caching To enable caching in NGINX, you need to add the proxy_cache directive to your configuration file. Mar 30, 2015 · The Nginx cache manager is a process which purges the cache over time. Although Nginx is quite new compared to other web servers, its popularity is increasing due to its high performance. Nginx provides a massively scalable caching solution to efficiently deliver static and infrequently changing content to a wide range of customers. Jun 11, 2012 · But I still need to figure out how to configure Nginx to read files from memory rather then disk. Sep 27, 2022 · Cache Validity – In some environments, it can be useful to define how long a cached item is valid before NGINX flushes or re-validates its cache to help ensure that stale data is not returned to clients. This method offers improved cache performance compared to storing cache data on a disc. Nginx Memory Optimization Introduction Memory optimization is a critical aspect of configuring Nginx for production environments. Depending on your workflow and configuration, some methods might be more suitable than others. Jun 4, 2011 · I use nginx to as the front server, I have modified the CSS files, but nginx is still serving the old ones. And right now there's a crontab for restarting the server every hour directio 0; proxy_no_cache 1; proxy_cache_bypass 1; proxy_redirect How to Setup Caching on Nginx A comprehensive guide to configuring caching and compression in Nginx for optimal performance. However, as the nginx plus does support wildcard purgers, I figure it must hold this information in memory somewhere to do a regex search for a wildcard purge. jpg). I'll talk about how NGINX functions with respect to content caching and performance, and I'll give you some tips for control over how NGINX caches content. But let's say, for the purpose of learning, I only want to cache css files in memory. Jan 2, 2024 · Cache a Content in NGINX Caching in NGINX is a pivotal technique that involves the storage and delivery of web content from a cache, reducing the reliance on repeated requests to the origin server. Tune proxy_buffers in the NGINX Proxy Rather than initiating a sub-request to an upstream application server for each request received by the proxy, NGINX can buffer data in memory We’re getting things ready Loading your experience… This won’t take long. Well, that’s about the proxy_cache_path directive and its parameters. Writing to temporary files is controlled by the proxy_max_temp_file_size and proxy_temp_file_write_size I'd like to find a way to prevent the Nginx server from stop itself every few hours. The server is mostly serve only video files And I want it send the cache-headers but not keeping the caches inside memory of the server machine I had tried this , but no good. So with the config I have I ran a load test with 20K unique requests. It does not cache responses with Cache-Control set to Private, No-Cache, No-Store or with Set-Cookie in the response header. Example Configuration upstream backend { server backend1. Dec 27, 2023 · Caching often provides the biggest performance boost for sites using Nginx as a high-performance web server and reverse proxy. This allows multiple workers to access the cached content quickly and efficiently. It holds all active keys and metadata of the cache. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can take advantage of caching to deliver a faster, more responsive experience for your visitors. Apr 26, 2025 · Conclusion Nginx caching is a powerful and flexible tool for improving website performance. You're in the web-development category. 13MB is my Nginx RAM usage, I don't know if it has in-memory caching configured - I rely on the OS cache. Jul 2, 2024 · Cache: NGINX uses a shared memory zone to store cached content, such as HTML pages, images, and other files. example. Jan 21, 2024 · In the context of NGINX file caching, the focus is on server-level caching where content is stored on the server’s memory or disk to optimize the performance of the web server. Here’s a basic usage example: Conclusion Configuring Nginx as a HTTP cache is a powerful way to improve the performance of your website. Let’s see how we can tune them to improve our application’s performance. This is causing NGINX to be using 20GB+ of memory and me having Aug 2, 2017 · NGINX follows Cache-Control header in responses from the origin server to determine if something should be cached or not. What should I Sep 12, 2023 · Configuring Caching, Rate Limiting, and Last-Modified in NGINX for Serving Static Files NGINX is a powerful and widely used web server and reverse proxy server that excels at serving static Nginx Cache Intro In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of configuring Nginx cache on both Windows and Ubuntu systems. Now in the NGINX documentation it says that NGINX can store around 8000 cache keys within 1MB space. Mar 26, 2023 · Nginx is a powerful web server that has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its lightweight design and high performance. Cache-Control headers can be ignored with proxy_ignore_headers set to Cache Apr 6, 2020 · Per the docs the nginx directive expires will set both the Expires HTTP-Header to an appropriate date and the max-age in the Cache-Control header to the appropriate seconds. Normally, the manager removes old files from the directory and updates nginx memory to reflect the changes. Apr 6, 2025 · Configuring Cache Settings in Nginx Configuring the right cache settings in Nginx requires understanding your application’s specific needs and how different settings impact cache performance and validity. May 20, 2015 · keys_zone=api-data-cache:8m was defining shared memory zone named api-data-cache with maximum size 8 MB. io/nginx:1. This guide covers setting up a cache directory, configuring cache settings, and applying caching to improve content delivery speed and reduce server load. What is caching in Nginx In simple terms, caching is the process of storing responses temporarily so that future requests for the same resource can be served faster. Jan 27, 2016 · If content is available in main memory (because it was recently used or written to cache), cache read operations are immediate; if content is not in main memory, NGINX generally blocks while the content is retrieved from storage. Jan 24, 2019 · We run docker. ) When buffering is enabled, nginx receives a response from the proxied server as soon as possible, saving it into the buffers set by the proxy_buffer_size and proxy_buffers directives. Jul 23, 2015 · This is useful if a file has been updated on the origin server but is still valid in the NGINX Plus cache (the Cache-Control:max-age is still valid and the timeout set by the inactive parameter to the proxy_cache_path directive has not expired). One crucial directive is proxy_cache_key, which controls how cache keys are defined. Dec 3, 2024 · How to Disable Caching in Nginx: A Comprehensive Guide Nginx is a high-performance web server often used for caching static assets and optimizing web application performance. To learn more about NGINX Plus’s caching capabilities, watch the Content Caching with NGINX webinar on demand and get an in‑depth review of features such as dynamic content caching, cache purging, and delayed caching. NGINX caches data on a per-user basis. I have tried to restart nginx, to no success and I have Googled, but not found a valid way to clear it. This tutorial has guided you through the process of setting up the cache path, configuring the proxy cache, setting up cache bypass conditions, and configuring the . Oct 19, 2015 · In the Tips below, you can find NGINX configuration suggestions for FastCGI, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache. Home Homelab Applications Nginx How to use Nginx for in-memory caching Summary This article will discuss requirements needed to add in-memory caching for all Nginx configuration files. I dont wish to change my open file limit and rather wish to achieve cache usage for subsequent requests. Oct 25, 2025 · This article walks you through how Nginx caching works, the different cache control mechanisms, and how you can tune your cache policies for different types of content. The goal of this comprehensive 2. 9. Oct 13, 2019 · Probably cache. Feb 5, 2025 · Similarily, proxy_ssl_certificate_cache, grpc_ssl_certificate_cache, uwsgi_ssl_certificate_cache enable caching of the authentication certificates and keys for HTTP, gRPC, and uwsgi upstream servers. Mar 18, 2024 · Purge requests with cache keys that end with an asterisk (“*”) will automatically remove all the cache entries matching the wildcard cache key. By storing HTTP responses and serving them for subsequent requests, you can reduce server load and improve response times. 8, offers an alternative method for filling the cache, which is more efficient when bandwidth is heavily constrained and cache‑fill operations take a long time. Learn how to fine-tune NGINX, implement advanced features, and follow best practices for optimal performance, scalability, and reliability. By reducing upstream requests and allowing rapid responses for cached content, both site speed and backend efficiency see major gains. However, the content of the website rarely changes and I want Nginx to cache the static files in-memory. example I am fairly new to NGINX and trying to setup caching, although I am able to get caching work I am running into a memory usage problem. Regular cache management is crucial for making sure users receive the most up-to-date content without unnecessary waiting times, so implementing a suitable cache strategy and knowing how to clear your cache efficiently are important May 16, 2018 · I can live with disabled cache from the folder users and further if it will works, but the best solution would be to disable cache for the whole path (with user-hash variable included) and just for a specific file type (*. Nginx cache is a powerful feature that allows us to store and serve frequently accessed content, resulting in improved performance and reduced server load. However, achieving optimal … The long story is that while Nginx consumes more and more memory even with new HTTP keep-alived requests, G-WAN's memory usage can stay stable for HTTP keep-alived requests, and it grows far less than for Nginx with non-keep-alived requests. Among its many features is the ability to efficiently cache content, which can significantly improve the speed and performance of your website. Sep 21, 2024 · Mastering NGINX Cache Clearance In this article, we’ll delve into the world of NGINX cache management and explore the importance of clearing cache. Key steps include ascertaining system memory usage, creating a tmpfs RAM space, setting up Nginx to utilize… I've setup Nginx to serve my website. path manager — Executes periodically. While the services are up and running, Nginx caches them for a certain time and in a case where the services are down, Nginx will serve the cache (even if it is stale) from its store. Feb 15, 2024 · Learn how to boost your website's performance with Nginx caching. Jun 15, 2022 · So in this case, the cache will be saved to path /var/cache/nginx. First, create a ConfigMap named ingress-nginx-controller as described in the documentation custom_configuration: Note: You may need to modify the proxy_cache_path settings, but shared memory zone (keys_zone= static-cache) should be the same as in your proxy_cache directive. 5K word guide is to cover all aspects of enabling and […] The handler is called from the dedicated nginx process “nginx cache loader”. With the cache‑purge feature of NGINX Plus, this file can easily be deleted. The primary purpose of designing Nginx Cache was to address the speed issues that web platforms and apps deal with on a regular basis. Let’s explore how we can use the proxy_cache_purge module to clear the cache on Nginx. Virtually the whole website could be cache since it's just a bunch of static files. Apr 13, 2020 · The tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to enhance Nginx's performance by mounting caching modules like ngx_pagespeed, fastcgi_cache, or proxy_cache in RAM using tmpfs. Sep 27, 2023 · Explore NGINX tuning in our comprehensive 2000-word guide, covering configuration optimization, performance enhancements, and best practices to ensure your web server operates at peak performance. com:8080; server unix:/tmp/backend3; server backup1. This directive specifies the cache zone and the path where cached files will be stored. Question How to flush Nginx cache for a website in Plesk? Answer The frontend makes a POST request to the server, which has an Nginx set up as a reverse proxy. Turn the cache off or reduce the cache lifetime to 1h and see if RAM usage drops. For some reason Nginx consumes pretty much all of it on production load which is not anything special — 60 RPS or so usually and keeps consuming it in after hours So, whenever nginx checks if a page was cached, it consults the shared memory zone first, then seek the location of actual cache in /var/cache/nginx if cache exist. Jan 21, 2016 · The Cache Slice module, introduced in NGINX Plus R8 and NGINX Open Source 1. levels sets the number of subdirectory levels in cache, while keys_zone=cache:10m is defining a shared memory zone named cache Performance is critical to success, and caching is one basic tool for improving it. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you will be able to leverage Nginx cache 3 days ago · Proxy bufffering and caching in nginx This is part of the Semicolon&Sons Code Diary - consisting of lessons learned on the job. com weight=5; server backend2. If the whole response does not fit into memory, a part of it can be saved to a temporary file on the disk. com:8080 backup; server backup2. So, whenever nginx checks if a page was cached, it consults the shared memory zone first, then seek the location of actual cache in /usr/local/cache/nginx if cache exist. Learn all about caching with NGINX and NGINX Plus. How do I do that? Sep 8, 2021 · From that location, NGINX will load the cache keys into the shared memory space (MyCache). Caching NGINX reverse proxies to Apache and caches all requests by default. Jan 20, 2024 · This guide covered several methods of clearing the NGINX cache. Some articles say we can just delete the cache directory: var/cache/nginx, but there is no such directory on my server. The cache file is stored in the following location, where type represents the type of caching, and username represents the username: Feb 19, 2021 · I've created an example to illustrate you how it works (I assume you have kubernetes/ingress-nginx). Setting up NGINX File Caching To set up NGINX file caching, you would typically add configuration directives in your server block or a separate configuration file. Jun 18, 2020 · In this article, you will learn how to configure NGINX as a Content Caching in Linux to make your web servers run as efficiently as possible. Jan 23, 2021 · Nginx will apply the MD5sum function to the cache memory key and use the hash result as the cache memory file name. Tuning Buffers and Cache ¶ NGINX’s traffic buffering and content caching features can have significant impact on system response time. This guide will walk you through understanding Nginx's memory usage patterns and implementing practical optimizations to make your web server both The cache definition example creates a directory for cached responses on the filesystem at /var/nginx/cache and creates a shared memory space named CACHE with 60 megabytes of memory.