Stub status module in Nginx - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

Nginx stub_status basic output

You have enabled the stub_status module in Nginx and accessed the status URL. What is the typical output format you will see?

A

Server status: OK
Connections: 5
Requests: 20
CPU usage: 10%

B

Status: Active
Connections: 5
Requests handled: 20
Errors: 0

C

Active connections: 5 
server accepts handled requests
 10 10 20 
Reading: 0 Writing: 1 Waiting: 4

D

Nginx running
Connections: 5
Requests: 20
Memory usage: 50MB

💡 Hint

Look for the exact format with 'Active connections' and the three numbers line.

The stub_status module outputs a fixed format showing active connections, accepts, handled, requests, and the states Reading, Writing, Waiting.

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Enable stub_status in Nginx config

Which configuration snippet correctly enables the stub_status module on the /nginx_status URL in Nginx?

A

location /nginx_status {
    stub_status;
    allow 127.0.0.1;
    deny all;
}

B

location /nginx_status {
    status_stub on;
    allow 127.0.0.1;
    deny all;
}

C

location /nginx_status {
    stub_status on;
    allow 127.0.0.1;
    deny all;
}

D

location /nginx_status {
    enable_stub_status;
    allow 127.0.0.1;
    deny all;
}

💡 Hint

The directive to enable stub_status is exactly 'stub_status;' inside the location block.

The stub_status module is enabled by the directive 'stub_status;' without 'on' or other keywords.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Stub_status returns 404 error

You configured stub_status on /status but when accessing http://localhost/status you get a 404 error. What is the most likely cause?

A The stub_status module is not compiled into Nginx.

B The Nginx service is not running.

C The firewall is blocking port 80.

D The stub_status directive is missing inside the location block for /status.

💡 Hint

Stub_status must be compiled into Nginx or it won't recognize the directive.

If stub_status is not compiled in, Nginx will not recognize the location and return 404.

🔀 Workflow

advanced

Secure stub_status access workflow

You want to allow stub_status access only from your local machine and deny all others. Which workflow correctly achieves this?

A Configure location with stub_status; allow all; then reload Nginx.

B Configure location with stub_status; allow 0.0.0.0/0; then reload Nginx.

C Configure location with stub_status; deny all; then reload Nginx.

D Configure location with stub_status; allow 127.0.0.1; deny all; then reload Nginx.

💡 Hint

Allow only localhost IP and deny all others is the secure approach.

Allow 127.0.0.1; deny all; restricts access to local machine only.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best practice for monitoring with stub_status

Which practice is best when using stub_status for production monitoring?

A Disable stub_status completely to avoid any information leaks.

B Enable stub_status only on localhost and use a secure proxy for remote access.

C Expose stub_status publicly without restrictions for easy access.

D Use stub_status with default settings and no IP restrictions.

💡 Hint

Consider security and controlled access for production environments.

Limiting stub_status to localhost and accessing it securely via proxy prevents unauthorized access.