Stub status module in Nginx - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of the Nginx stub status module?

The stub status module provides a simple way to get basic Nginx server statistics like active connections, requests, and connection states.

beginner

Which directive enables the stub status module in an Nginx configuration?

The stub_status on; directive inside a location block enables the stub status module.

intermediate

What kind of information does the stub status page show?

It shows:
- Active connections
- Accepted connections
- Handled connections
- Total requests
- Reading connections
- Writing connections
- Waiting connections

intermediate

How do you secure access to the stub status page?

You can restrict access using allow and deny directives to limit which IPs can view the status page.

beginner

What is the typical URL path used to expose the stub status page?

Commonly, the stub status page is exposed at /nginx_status or a similar path defined in the location block.

Which directive enables the stub status module in Nginx?

A stub_status off;

B status on;

C stub_status on;

D enable_stub_status on;

The correct directive is stub_status on; inside a location block.

What does the 'Active connections' value represent on the stub status page?

A Number of connections closed

B Total connections since server start

C Number of failed connections

D Number of current open connections to Nginx

Active connections show how many connections are currently open and being handled by Nginx.

Which of these is NOT shown by the stub status module?

A Total requests

B CPU usage

C Reading connections

D Writing connections

CPU usage is not shown by the stub status module; it only shows connection and request stats.

How can you restrict access to the stub status page?

A Using allow and deny directives

B Using proxy_pass

C Using gzip compression

D Using server_name directive

Access is restricted by allow and deny directives to control IP access.

What is the default HTTP response content type of the stub status page?

A text/plain

B application/json

C text/html

D application/xml

The stub status page returns plain text with server statistics.

Explain how to configure the Nginx stub status module to monitor server connections.

Think about the minimal config needed to expose and protect the status page.

Describe the key metrics provided by the stub status module and what they indicate about server health.

Consider what each metric tells about current server load and activity.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of the stub_status module in nginx?

easy

A. To provide basic server statistics like active connections and requests

B. To enable SSL encryption for secure connections

C. To serve static files faster

D. To balance load between multiple servers

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the stub status module role

   The stub status module is designed to show simple server stats such as active connections and request counts.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   SSL encryption, static file serving, and load balancing are handled by other nginx modules, not stub status.

3. Final Answer:

   To provide basic server statistics like active connections and requests -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Stub status = server stats [OK]

Hint: Stub status shows server stats, not security or file serving [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing stub_status with SSL or load balancing modules
• Thinking stub_status serves files
• Assuming stub_status handles security

2. Which of the following is the correct way to enable the stub status module inside an nginx configuration location block?

easy

A. location /status { stub_status; }

B. location /status { stub_status on; }

C. location /status { status_stub; }

D. location /status { enable_stub_status; }

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall stub status syntax

   The stub status module is enabled simply by adding stub_status; inside a location block without extra keywords.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   location /status { stub_status on; } uses incorrect syntax with stub_status on;. Options C and D use invalid directives.

3. Final Answer:

   location /status { stub_status; } -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Enable stub_status with just 'stub_status;' [OK]

Hint: Use exactly 'stub_status;' inside location block [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding 'on' or other keywords after stub_status
• Using wrong directive names
• Placing stub_status outside location block

3. Given this nginx configuration snippet:

location /nginx_status {
    stub_status;
    allow 192.168.1.0/24;
    deny all;
}

What will happen if a client from IP 192.168.1.15 accesses /nginx_status?

medium

A. The client will download the nginx configuration file

B. The client will see nginx server statistics

C. The client will be redirected to the homepage

D. The client will get a 403 Forbidden error

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze IP access rules

   The configuration allows IPs in 192.168.1.0/24 and denies all others. IP 192.168.1.15 is inside this range, so access is allowed.

2. Step 2: Understand stub_status output

   With access allowed, the client will see the nginx server statistics page generated by stub_status.

3. Final Answer:

   The client will see nginx server statistics -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Allowed IP + stub_status = stats page [OK]

Hint: Allowed IPs see stats; others get denied [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring IP allow/deny order
• Assuming all IPs can access stub_status
• Thinking stub_status redirects or downloads files

4. You configured nginx with:

location /status {
    stub_status;
}

But when you visit /status, you get a 403 Forbidden error. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The stub_status directive is misspelled

B. Nginx does not support stub_status on this version

C. The location block is missing a root directive

D. Access is not restricted by allow/deny rules, so default deny applies

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand default access behavior

   By default, nginx denies access if no allow/deny rules are set and the stub_status is enabled, causing 403 errors.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   The stub_status directive is correct, root is not required for stub_status, and most nginx versions support stub_status.

3. Final Answer:

   Access is not restricted by allow/deny rules, so default deny applies -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   No allow/deny means deny by default [OK]

Hint: Always add allow/deny rules to permit stub_status access [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Forgetting to add allow rules for trusted IPs
• Assuming stub_status needs root directive
• Blaming nginx version without checking

5. You want to monitor nginx server stats securely using stub status. Which configuration snippet correctly enables stub status at /status and restricts access only to localhost?

hard

A. location /status {
stub_status;
deny 127.0.0.1;
allow all;
}

B. location /status {
stub_status on;
allow all;
}

C. location /status {
stub_status;
allow 127.0.0.1;
deny all;
}

D. location /status {
stub_status;
allow 0.0.0.0/0;
}

Solution

1. Step 1: Enable stub_status correctly

   Use stub_status; inside the location block without extra keywords.

2. Step 2: Restrict access to localhost

   Allow only 127.0.0.1 and deny all others to secure access.

3. Step 3: Evaluate options

   location /status { stub_status; allow 127.0.0.1; deny all; } correctly enables stub_status and restricts access. location /status { stub_status on; allow all; } wrongly uses 'stub_status on;' and allows all. location /status { stub_status; deny 127.0.0.1; allow all; } denies localhost but allows all others, which is insecure. location /status { stub_status; allow 0.0.0.0/0; } allows all IPs.

4. Final Answer:

   location /status { stub_status; allow 127.0.0.1; deny all; } -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Stub_status + allow localhost + deny others = secure [OK]

Hint: Allow localhost and deny all others for secure stub_status [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'stub_status on;' instead of 'stub_status;'
• Allowing all IPs instead of restricting
• Denying localhost but allowing others