Nginx is a popular open-source web server that can be used to serve static and dynamic content. NGINX QGIS Server is a web application that can be used to serve geospatial data.

By integrating Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server, you can create a powerful web-based mapping application that can be accessed by users from anywhere in the world.

This guide by Fixwebnode will show you how to integrate Nginx  and NGINX QGIS Server.

Benefits of integrating Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server:

• Efficient performance: Nginx is a very efficient web server, and it can significantly improve the performance of your web-based mapping application.
• Scalability: Nginx is also very scalable, so you can easily add more resources to your server as your application grows.
• Even load balancing: Nginx can evenly distribute requests across multiple QGIS Server instances, which can help to improve performance and prevent bottlenecks.
• Additional security: Nginx can provide additional security for your web-based mapping application by filtering out malicious requests and enforcing security policies.
• Simplified administration: Nginx can be used to simplify the administration of your web-based mapping application. For example, you can use Nginx to manage SSL certificates and to configure caching.
• Reduced costs: By using Nginx, you can reduce the cost of running your web-based mapping application. This is because Nginx is a very lightweight web server that does not require a lot of resources.

Steps to integrate Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server

Here are the steps on how to integrate Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server:

1. Install Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server on your server

Here is a more detailed explanation of each step:

To install Nginx, you can use the following command:

$ apt install nginx

To install NGINX QGIS Server, you can use the following command:

$ apt install nginx-qgis-server

2. Configure Nginx to act as a reverse proxy for NGINX QGIS Server

To configure Nginx to act as a reverse proxy for NGINX QGIS Server, you need to edit the Nginx configuration file. The default location of this file is /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.

In the Nginx configuration file, you need to add the following location block:

location /qgisserver {
  proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
}

This location block tells Nginx to proxy all requests to the /qgisserver URL to the NGINX QGIS Server, which is listening on port 8080.

3. Configure NGINX QGIS Server to listen on a Unix socket

To configure NGINX QGIS Server to listen on a Unix socket, you need to edit the NGINX QGIS Server configuration file. The default location of this file is /etc/qgis-server/qgis.conf.

In the NGINX QGIS Server configuration file, you need to add the following line:

listen unix:/var/run/qgisserver.sock;

This line tells NGINX QGIS Server to listen on a Unix socket located at /var/run/qgisserver.sock.

4. Start Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server

Once you have configured Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server, you can start them by running the following commands:

systemctl start nginx
systemctl start qgis-server

Once Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server are started, you can access your web-based mapping application by opening a web browser and navigating to the URL http://localhost/qgisserver.

How Nginx and NGINX QGIS Server work together ?

1. Nginx acts as a reverse proxy for NGINX QGIS Server

This means that Nginx receives all requests for the web-based mapping application and then forwards those requests to NGINX QGIS Server.

2. NGINX QGIS Server is responsible for rendering the maps and other geospatial data

When Nginx receives a request for a map, it forwards the request to NGINX QGIS Server, which then renders the map and sends it back to Nginx.

3. Nginx then sends the rendered map to the user's web browser.

This process allows Nginx to improve the performance, scalability, security, and administration of the web-based mapping application.

How Nginx can improve the performance of the web-based mapping application ?

1. Nginx can cache static content, such as images and CSS files

This can significantly improve the performance of the application by reducing the number of times that these files need to be retrieved from the server.

2. Nginx can use a variety of techniques to optimize the delivery of dynamic content, such as maps and other geospatial data

This can also improve the performance of the application by reducing the amount of time it takes to render these items.

3. Nginx can distribute requests across multiple QGIS Server instances

This can help to improve the performance of the application by preventing bottlenecks.

How Nginx can improve the security of the web-based mapping application ?

1. Nginx can filter out malicious requests

This can help to prevent attacks on the application.

2. Nginx can enforce security policies

For example, Nginx can be configured to only allow requests from certain IP addresses.

3. Nginx can be used to manage SSL certificates

This can help to protect the application from eavesdropping and other attacks.