Proxy cache path configuration in Nginx - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of the proxy_cache_path directive in nginx?

It defines the location on disk where nginx stores cached responses from proxied servers. This helps speed up repeated requests by serving cached content.

intermediate

Which parameters can you set in proxy_cache_path to control cache size and behavior?

You can set parameters like levels (directory structure), keys_zone (shared memory zone name and size), max_size (maximum cache size), inactive (time before cached items expire), and use_temp_path.

intermediate

Explain the role of the keys_zone parameter in proxy_cache_path.

It defines a shared memory zone that stores cache keys and metadata. This zone allows nginx worker processes to share cache information efficiently.

beginner

What does the levels parameter do in proxy_cache_path?

It sets the directory structure depth for storing cached files. For example, levels=1:2 creates a two-level folder hierarchy to avoid too many files in one directory.

beginner

How do you enable proxy caching for a location block after configuring proxy_cache_path?

Use the proxy_cache directive inside the location block with the name of the cache zone defined in keys_zone. For example, proxy_cache my_cache_zone;.

What does the max_size parameter in proxy_cache_path control?

A Maximum number of worker processes

B Maximum size of HTTP request body

C Maximum number of cached keys in memory

D Maximum size of the cache on disk

max_size limits how much disk space the cache can use.

Which parameter defines the shared memory zone for caching in nginx?

A proxy_cache_key

B keys_zone

C proxy_cache_path

D proxy_cache_valid

keys_zone is a parameter inside proxy_cache_path that defines the shared memory zone.

What is the effect of setting levels=1:2 in proxy_cache_path?

A Cache files are stored in a two-level directory structure

B Cache files are stored in a single directory

C Cache files are stored in three nested directories

D Cache files are stored in memory only

This creates a two-level folder hierarchy with 1-character named directories at the first level and 2-character named directories at the second level.

How do you activate caching for a specific location in nginx?

A Use <code>cache_enable</code> directive

B Use <code>proxy_cache_path</code> inside the location block

C Use <code>proxy_cache</code> directive with the cache zone name

D Use <code>cache_zone</code> directive

proxy_cache enables caching using the named cache zone.

What happens if the cache size exceeds the max_size limit?

A Old cached files are deleted to free space

B New cache files are rejected

C Nginx stops serving cached content

D Cache size automatically increases

Nginx removes old cache files to keep the cache size within the limit.

Describe how to configure proxy cache storage in nginx using proxy_cache_path. Include key parameters and their roles.

Think about where cache files go, how nginx organizes them, and how it limits cache size.

Explain the steps to enable proxy caching for a website location after setting up the cache path.

Focus on linking the cache storage setup with the location block configuration.