Nginx (some call it “EngineX”) is widely used as a web server, but it can also be configured as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy or HTTP cache server. The scope of this article is limited to the use of Nginx as a web server.
The Nginx software package has supported Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) since at least 2010, although IPv6 support is not enabled by default. The authoritative source for Nginx Open Source Software (OSS) is nginx.org and for Nginx PLUS (the commercial product) the authoritative source is Nginx, Inc.
To use Nginx OSS as a web server supporting IPv6, the first step is to complete the 8 steps described in this Get Your Site Ready for IPv6 article for the host computer your Nginx web server is or will be installed on.
Next, to install Nginx under various Linux/Unix operating systems follow the directions given in this Nginx: Configure and Install With IPv6 Networking Support Enabled web page. A more detailed set of directions with configuration options for additional operating systems and some cloud environments can be found on the Nginx. Inc. website here. It is also possible to install Nginx OSS in a Microsoft Windows environment (Caution: There are known issues in this environment).
After completing the installation, scan the FEATURED ARTICLES list in the right hand column of the Nginx: Configure and Install With IPv6 Networking Support Enabled web page to see if any of them are relevant to your planned use of Nginx OSS. For example:
How to enable gzip compression in nginx server
or
Top 25 Nginx Web Server Best Security Practices.
Advanced configuration features of Nginx OSS are documented on the Nginx. Inc. website docs.nginx.com. To review these features, on that website enter “open source” in the Search all documentation box, click on the search icon (
), and then scan the search results for relevant features. Many (but not all) of the articles returned by the search will contain “open source” or “Open Source” in the title. If a feature of interest does not indicate “open source” or “Open Source” in the title, view the article anyway. The feature may be available for Nginx OSS even though the title does not explicitly indicate that is the case.
Also, a web search using any web search engine may reveal additional configuration changes you might want to consider, such as
Dual-Stack Configuration of IPv4 and IPv6,
However, be careful! You will want to verify that any configuration changes your web search reveals specifically apply to Nginx OSS. The Dual-Stack Configuration of IPv4 and IPv6 configuration change above, for example, is only available for Nginx PLUS installations.