📍Introduction:

In the world of web hosting and applications, the choice of a web server plays a crucial role in determining the performance, security, and accessibility of your online presence. Let's dive into the setup of three popular web servers—nginx, HAProxy, and Apache 2—each tailored to distinct use cases. 🚀

Nginx - Restricting Access Using nginx.conf 🚧

Use Case: Control Access to Sensitive Areas

Steps:

1. 📝 Open your nginx configuration file at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.

2. 📝 Within the server block, add a location block for the restricted area:

    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name yourdomain.com;
   
        location /restricted {
            deny all;
            return 403;
        }
   
        # ... other configuration ...
    }
   

3. 💾 Save the configuration file and restart nginx:

    sudo systemctl restart nginx
   

4. 🌐 Accessing /restricted will now yield a 403 Forbidden error.

HAProxy - Software Load Balancing & SSL Certificates ⚖️🔐

Use Case: Load Balancing and SSL Termination

Steps:

1. 📝 Install HAProxy using:

    sudo apt-get install haproxy
   

2. 📝 Edit your HAProxy configuration file at /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg.

3. 📝 Configure the frontend for SSL termination:

    frontend https_frontend
        bind *:443 ssl crt /etc/haproxy/ssl/your_certificate.pem
        mode http
        option httplog
        default_backend backend_servers
   

4. 📝 Define the backend servers:

    backend backend_servers
        mode http
        balance roundrobin
        server webserver1 192.168.1.10:80
        server webserver2 192.168.1.11:80
        # Add more servers as needed
   

5. 💾 Save the configuration and restart HAProxy:

    sudo systemctl restart haproxy
   

Apache 2 - Setting Up a Web Server 🛠️

Use Case: Basic Web Hosting

Steps:

1. 📝 Install Apache 2 with:

    sudo apt-get install apache2
   

2. 📝 Place your website files in /var/www/html.

3. 📝 Create a virtual host configuration:

    sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/your_site.conf
   

    <VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName yourdomain.com
        DocumentRoot /var/www/html/your_site
        # Other configuration directives
    </VirtualHost>
   

4. 📝 Enable the virtual host and necessary modules:

    sudo a2ensite your_site.conf
    sudo a2enmod rewrite
   

5. 📝 For SSL, use Let's Encrypt certificates with certbot:

    sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-apache
    sudo certbot --apache
   

6. 💾 Restart Apache:

    sudo systemctl restart apache2
   

Choose the Right Web Server for Your Needs! 🛡️

📍 Conclusion:

Each web server discussed above has its strengths, making them suitable for different scenarios. Nginx excels at access control, HAProxy shines as a load balancer and SSL terminator, and Apache 2 offers a robust foundation for general web hosting. Tailor your choice to your project's unique requirements and enjoy a seamlessly running web application. 🚀🌐.

🔍 Checkout GitHub Repository for projects:

🔗 https://linktr.ee/sumanprasad007

🔍 Check out my YouTube channel - Prasad Suman Mohan:

🔗 youtube.com/@sumanprasad007