Nginx

Nginx is an open source web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy and HTTP cache. Nginx is pronounced "engine-x" and is often used for high traffic websites due to its ability to handle thousands of simultaneous connections with high performance.

Nginx gained popularity in the early 2000s as an alternative to Apache web server for its lightweight and high performance architecture. Unlike Apache, Nginx uses an asynchronous, event-driven approach to handling requests rather than a process-oriented approach. This allows Nginx to serve more concurrent requests with fewer system resources. For example, Nginx can handle 10,000 concurrent connections on a typical server while Apache may only handle 1,000. This makes Nginx well-suited for applications that require real-time response such as API services, microservices and web/mobile applications. Nginx is also highly customizable through module extensions and a simple configuration syntax.