Boost Speed Using Vultr CDN with Nginx

Learn how to boost speed using Vultr CDN with Nginx. Our Vultr Support team is here to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.

Boost Speed Using Vultr CDN with Nginx

We can easily boost a website’s performance by combining a robust web server, such as Nginx, with Vultr CDN.

This improves speed, minimizes latency, and offloads static content delivery, while enhancing the overall user experience.

Today, we will explore how Vultr CDN works with Nginx, walk through configuration methods, and share best practices to maximize the benefits of this dynamic duo.

Why Use Vultr CDN with Nginx?

Pairing Vultr’s Content Delivery Network with Nginx distributes static assets like images, CSS, and JavaScript files across multiple global locations efficiently. This setup improves web app performance by:

• Offloading static content from the origin server.
• Reducing server load through distributed edge caching.
• Serving content closer to your users, minimizing latency.
• Enhancing scalability to meet growing traffic demands.

If you’re already running services like Nextcloud on Vultr, this setup ensures smoother file access and faster load times across users and devices.

Key Objectives

• Offload static files from the origin server.
• Reduce load by serving assets from CDN edge nodes.
• Allow Nginx to focus on handling dynamic requests.
• Cache static assets across global nodes.
• Serve files from servers nearest to users.
• Improve load times and maintain consistent performance.
• It offers efficient static content delivery.

Its delivery mechanisms include:

• Use `sub_filter` to translate asset URLs.
• Configure Push Zones for manual uploads.
• Automatically route requests based on geography.

Vultr CDN Integration Methods with Nginx

Method 1: Dynamic URL Replacement with `sub_filter`

The `sub_filter` module lets Nginx rewrite content within HTTP responses. This is useful for swapping URLs to point to the CDN.

Here is the setup guide:

1. First, check for sub_filter support:

   nginx -VCopy Code

   
   Look for `–with-http_sub_module` in the output.
2. Then, edit the Nginx config:

   sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.comCopy Code

   Now, add this block:

   sub_filter 'https://example.com/images/' 'https://cdn-example88.vultrcdn.com/images/';
   proxy_set_header Accept-Encoding "";
   sub_filter_once off;
   Copy Code

   Here, proxy_set_header Accept-Encoding avoids gzip issues, and sub_filter_once is set to off, allowing multiple replacements per response.

Method 2: Redirect Requests to CDN

Another approach is to redirect specific requests to the CDN via `location` blocks.

For example:

location /images/ {
proxy_pass https://cdn-example88.vultrcdn.com/images/;
expires 30d;
add_header Cache-Control "public";
}
Copy Code

Configuration Overview

When setting up the zone, we can choose between:

• Pull Zones
  • Automatically pull content from the origin server.
  • Ideal for dynamic websites with frequently updated content.
• Push Zones
  • Upload files manually to Vultr storage.
  • Ideal for large or rarely updated static files.

Here is a Push Zone setup Example:

1. Install Nginx.
2. Then, configure it as a reverse proxy.
3. Now, use `sub_filter` for CDN URL rewriting.

   
   location / {
   try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
   sub_filter_once off;
   sub_filter '' '';
   }
   Copy Code

Best Practices

1. First, analyze the web app to determine the best way to structure the `location` blocks.

   
   location /static/ {
   proxy_pass https://cdn-example.vultrcdn.com/static/;
   expires 30d;
   add_header Cache-Control "public";
   }
   Copy Code
2. Furthermore, improve delivery by creating separate config blocks for images, JS, and CSS. Use caching headers to reduce load times.
3. Also, use `rewrite` and `try_files` for advanced routing and SEO-friendly redirects.

   
   location / {
   try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
   rewrite ^/old-path/(.*)$ /new-path/$1 permanent;
   }
   Copy Code
4. After any changes, validate the configuration and reload Nginx:

   
   sudo nginx -t
   sudo systemctl reload nginx
   Copy Code

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

Integrating Vultr CDN with Nginx is a game-changer for performance and scalability. By efficiently delivering static content and reducing the load on the origin server, we can provide a faster and smoother user experience across the globe.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to boost speed using Vultr CDN with Nginx.