NGINX

Workflow

1. Identify operating mode (HTTP/reverse proxy, mail proxy, or both).
2. Confirm traffic, TLS, and trust-boundary requirements.
3. Apply secure baseline config (protocols, headers, limits, least exposure).
4. Configure mode-specific routing/proxy behavior.
5. Validate with nginx -t, reload safely, and run protocol-specific smoke tests.

Quick Intake (Ask/Confirm)

• NGINX version and deployment mode (VM/systemd, container, ingress).
• Domains/certificates and TLS termination model.
• Upstream topology and real-client-IP requirements.
• Protocol requirements:
  • HTTP mode: HTTP/2, gRPC, WebSockets/SSE, upload/streaming limits.
  • Mail mode: SMTP/IMAP/POP3 ports, STARTTLS/implicit TLS requirements.
• Security constraints (HSTS/CSP, admin surface restrictions, abuse controls, compliance).