Web servers are the front door to every internet-facing application. Getting
the configuration right -- from TLS termination to reverse proxying to
database connectivity -- is essential for security, reliability, and speed.
This hub collects production-ready guides for the two dominant web servers,
their supporting infrastructure, and the databases that back them.
Web Server Configuration
TLS and Encryption
| Topic |
Description |
Guide |
| SSL/TLS Setup |
Certbot, cipher suites, HSTS, OCSP stapling |
SSL/TLS Setup |
Traffic Management
Optimization and Hardening
| Topic |
Description |
Guide |
| Performance Tuning |
Workers, compression, caching, CDN, benchmarking |
Performance Tuning |
| Web Security |
Security headers, rate limiting, WAF, fail2ban |
Web Security |
Data Tier
Choosing Between Nginx and Apache
| Criteria |
Nginx |
Apache |
| Architecture |
Event-driven, async |
Process/thread-based (MPM) |
| Static file serving |
Extremely fast |
Fast with sendfile |
| .htaccess support |
No (by design) |
Yes |
| Dynamic modules |
Limited (load at compile or since 1.9.11) |
Extensive, loaded at runtime |
| Reverse proxy |
First-class |
Via mod_proxy |
| Memory usage |
Lower under high concurrency |
Higher per connection |
Both are production-grade. Nginx is typically preferred for reverse proxying
and high-concurrency workloads; Apache for legacy applications that depend
on .htaccess or specific modules.
Prerequisites
Guides assume a Debian/Ubuntu or RHEL-family system. Commands for both
package managers are provided where they differ. A registered domain name
and DNS access are needed for the SSL/TLS guide.
Navigate back to the cb.vu home page or pick a guide above to get
started.