Request/response transformation in Nginx - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Request and Response Transformation with Nginx

📖 Scenario: You are setting up a simple web server using Nginx. You want to transform incoming requests and outgoing responses to meet specific needs.For example, you want to add a custom header to all responses and rewrite certain request URLs.

🎯 Goal: Build an Nginx configuration that rewrites request URLs starting with /oldpath to /newpath, and adds a custom response header X-Custom-Header: DevOpsProject to all responses.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a basic Nginx server block listening on port 8080

Rewrite requests from /oldpath to /newpath

Add a custom response header X-Custom-Header: DevOpsProject

Serve static files from /usr/share/nginx/html

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Web servers often need to modify requests and responses to support legacy URLs, add security headers, or customize content delivery.

💼 Career

Understanding Nginx request and response transformations is essential for DevOps roles managing web infrastructure and improving application delivery.

1

Create a basic Nginx server block

Write an Nginx server block that listens on port 8080 and serves files from /usr/share/nginx/html. Name the server block server and include the listen and root directives.

Nginx

# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use server { ... } block with listen 8080; and root /usr/share/nginx/html;.

2

Add URL rewrite rule

Inside the existing server block, add a location /oldpath block that rewrites requests to /newpath using the rewrite directive with a permanent redirect.

Nginx

server {
    listen 8080;
    root /usr/share/nginx/html;
    # Your code here
}

Need a hint?

Use location /oldpath { rewrite ^/oldpath(.*)$ /newpath$1 permanent; } inside the server block.

3

Add custom response header

Inside the server block, add the directive add_header X-Custom-Header "DevOpsProject"; to add a custom header to all responses.

Nginx

server {
    listen 8080;
    root /usr/share/nginx/html;

    location /oldpath {
        rewrite ^/oldpath(.*)$ /newpath$1 permanent;
    }
    # Your code here
}

Need a hint?

Add add_header X-Custom-Header "DevOpsProject"; inside the server block but outside location blocks.

4

Test and display the final configuration

Print the entire Nginx configuration you wrote so far to verify it includes the server block with listen 8080;, root /usr/share/nginx/html;, the location /oldpath rewrite, and the add_header directive.

Nginx

# Your code here to print the configuration

Need a hint?

Print the full configuration text exactly as written.