Guide for Log Debugging in Nginx

Guide for Log Debugging in Nginx

If you are currently working with Nginx, you are likely interested in logs as one of the essential tools for debugging and troubleshooting. Nginx is one of the popular web servers designed for effective request management and optimal resource usage. However, how can we analyze its logs to understand when issues arise and what exactly is happening?

For monitoring and error examination, Nginx provides capabilities for logging that can help us analyze server behavior and applications. By examining the logs, we can understand whether the server configurations are running correctly or if a specific issue has been created. In this article, we will show you how to activate debugging logs and utilize them.

Activating log debugging in Nginx gives us the ability to see more details regarding requests and responses. These logs contain useful information such as client IP addresses, request times, HTTP response codes, and even specifics during request processing. During a time when you encounter an issue, reviewing these logs can be an excellent guide for identifying problems.

In continuation, we will remind you how to activate these logs and provide an example of a log format for you to get acquainted with the server’s strengths and weaknesses.

Activating Log Debugging in Nginx

http {
    log_format debug_log '$remote_addr - $remote_user [$time_local] "$request" $status $body_bytes_sent "$http_referer" "$http_user_agent"';
    access_log /var/log/nginx/debug.log debug_log;
}

Code Explanation

By activating these configurations, you can monitor the debug.log file in the folder /var/log/nginx/ with details of requests and responses. These logs not only help in identifying problems but also provide insights into the overall server performance. In case you encounter a specific issue, do not hesitate to refer back to these logs!