NGINX Plus

Basic Information

NGINX Plus is a commercial, enterprise-grade application delivery platform built upon NGINX Open Source. It functions as a web server, reverse proxy, load balancer, content cache, and API gateway.

• Model: NGINX Plus
• Version: Releases are designated with an 'R' followed by a number (e.g., R35, R34).
• Release Date: Releases occur periodically, with R35 released in November 2024, R34 in April 2024, and R33 in November 2024.
• Minimum Requirements: Specific hardware requirements are not explicitly detailed but NGINX Plus is designed for high performance and low resource utilization. It runs on various Linux distributions and FreeBSD.
• Supported Operating Systems: NGINX Plus supports a range of Linux distributions including RHEL (7.4+, 8.1+, 9.0+), Oracle Linux (7.4+, 8.1+, 9), AlmaLinux (8, 9), Rocky Linux (8, 9), Debian, Ubuntu, and Amazon Linux 2023. FreeBSD is also supported.
• Latest Stable Version: As of November 2024, NGINX Plus R35 is a recent feature release, based on NGINX Open Source 1.29.0.
• End of Support Date: Each NGINX Plus release receives 24 months of technical support from its initial release date. For example, R35 (November 2024) support ends November 2026, and R34 (April 2024) support ends April 2026.
• End of Life Date: The End of Software Development (EoSD) for an NGINX Plus release occurs on the release date of the next version.
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Not explicitly specified as an auto-update expiration, but subscription licenses for R33 and later require usage reporting.
• License Type: Proprietary software with subscription licensing. Licenses are typically per-instance, with enterprise options for unlimited instances within a defined scope (application, business unit, or organization).
• Deployment Model: Deployable on-premises, in public, private, and hybrid cloud environments, on bare metal, and within containers (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift).

Technical Requirements

NGINX Plus is designed for high performance and low resource utilization, enabling it to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently.

• RAM: NGINX is known for a low memory footprint, with 10,000 inactive HTTP keep-alive connections requiring approximately 2.5MB of memory.
• Processor: Utilizes standard processor chips, benefiting from increasing power and cryptographic acceleration support. Hyper-threading can improve performance, especially for SSL TPS.
• Storage: No specific storage requirements are detailed, but efficient caching mechanisms are available.
• Display: Not applicable for server software.
• Ports: Supports standard HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and UDP ports for its various functionalities.
• Operating System: Compatible with various Linux distributions (RHEL, Oracle Linux, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Amazon Linux) and FreeBSD.

Analysis of Technical Requirements

NGINX Plus prioritizes efficiency and scalability. Its minimal RAM usage and effective utilization of standard processors, including cryptographic acceleration, allow it to manage high traffic volumes with cost-effective hardware. The software-defined nature allows flexible deployment across diverse environments, from bare metal to cloud and containerized setups. The primary technical consideration revolves around optimizing the underlying operating system and hardware for network throughput and CPU-intensive tasks like SSL/TLS processing.

Support & Compatibility

NGINX Plus offers comprehensive support and broad compatibility across various platforms.

• Latest Version: NGINX Plus R35 (November 2024) is the latest feature release.
• OS Support: Supports current and recent versions of major Linux distributions (RHEL, Oracle Linux, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Amazon Linux) and FreeBSD. Specific versions are regularly updated and older ones deprecated or removed.
• End of Support Date: Each release is supported for 24 months from its initial release date. Critical bug patches and security updates are applied to the two most recent releases.
• Localization: Not explicitly detailed, but NGINX Plus is used globally.
• Available Drivers: NGINX Plus integrates with various ecosystem components and offers dynamic modules, but does not typically require "drivers" in the traditional sense.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status

NGINX Plus boasts strong support and compatibility, primarily due to its commercial nature and F5 backing. Users receive 24/7 technical support from NGINX engineers. The 24-month support lifecycle for each release ensures that users have access to bug fixes and security updates for a reasonable period. Compatibility with a wide array of modern Linux distributions and FreeBSD makes it adaptable to most enterprise environments. The modular architecture also allows for integration with various third-party modules and services. However, users should stay updated with release notes as older operating system versions are regularly deprecated and removed from support.

Security Status

NGINX Plus incorporates robust security features and offers mechanisms to mitigate vulnerabilities.

• Security Features: Includes request, connection, and bandwidth limiting, IP address access control lists (ACL), dual-stack RSA/ECC SSL/TLS offloading, server-side SSL/TLS encryption, TLS 1.3 support, mutual TLS termination and proxying, secure links, and dynamic DDoS mitigation. It also integrates with F5 Device ID+ and NGINX App Protect WAF module for enhanced application protection.
• Known Vulnerabilities: Recent vulnerabilities include heap overflow, stack overflow, use-after-free, and null pointer dereference issues related to HTTP/3, as well as an SMTP authentication process memory over-read. An ngx_http_mp4_module vulnerability allows memory over-read with specially crafted MP4 files. F5 proactively informs subscribers of vulnerabilities and provides patches.
• Blacklist Status: No general blacklist status is reported.
• Certifications: NGINX Plus is FIPS 140-2 Level 1 and FIPS 140-3 Level 1 compliant when the operating system and OpenSSL library operate in FIPS mode.
• Encryption Support: Supports SSL/TLS versions including TLSv1.2 and TLSv1.3 (requiring OpenSSL 1.1.1+). It offers SSL/TLS offloading, end-to-end encryption, and encryption to origin servers. The Encrypted Session dynamic module provides AES-256 with MAC encryption/decryption for NGINX variables.
• Authentication Methods: Supports HTTP Basic Authentication, HTTP authentication subrequests, X.509 client certificate authentication, NTLM authentication, and encrypted JSON Web Token (JWT, JWE) validation. It also integrates with OpenID Connect for single sign-on with identity providers like Keycloak, Okta, OneLogin, and Ping Identity.
• General Recommendations: F5 recommends running the latest version of NGINX Plus for the most recent features, security updates, and critical patches. Subscribers receive immediate patches for vulnerabilities.

Analysis on the Overall Security Rating

NGINX Plus offers a strong security posture with a comprehensive suite of features for access control, encryption, and application protection. Its support for modern TLS versions and FIPS compliance highlights its commitment to secure communication. The advanced authentication methods, including JWT and OpenID Connect, provide robust identity management for APIs and web applications. While vulnerabilities are periodically discovered, F5's proactive patching and communication strategy for subscribers helps maintain a high level of security. The NGINX App Protect WAF module further enhances Layer 7 security.

Performance & Benchmarks

NGINX Plus is renowned for its high performance and efficiency, inherited from NGINX Open Source and enhanced with enterprise features.

• Benchmark Scores: While specific recent benchmark scores for NGINX Plus are not readily available, NGINX (both Open Source and Plus) is known for excellent performance in requests per second (RPS) and connections per second (CPS) on HTTP and HTTPS.
• Real-World Performance Metrics: Praised for stability, high performance, and ability to handle heavy loads. It excels in load balancing, reverse proxying, and application delivery, offering seamless failover.
• Power Consumption: NGINX is known for low resource usage, allowing it to handle more requests with less hardware.
• Carbon Footprint: Not explicitly detailed, but low resource usage generally implies a lower carbon footprint compared to less efficient alternatives.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: NGINX Plus offers advanced features over NGINX Open Source, such as active health checks, dynamic reconfiguration without process reloads, session persistence, and enhanced monitoring. It provides ADC functionality in a software form factor, often compared favorably to hardware-based load balancers.

Analysis of the Overall Performance Status

NGINX Plus maintains the high-performance characteristics of its open-source counterpart while adding critical enterprise-grade features that enhance its real-world performance and reliability. Its event-driven architecture allows it to efficiently handle a large number of concurrent connections with minimal resource consumption. Features like active health checks and dynamic reconfiguration contribute to higher availability and smoother operations, directly impacting perceived performance. The ability to offload SSL/TLS processing also significantly improves the performance of backend servers. Overall, NGINX Plus is a high-performing solution suitable for demanding application delivery needs.

User Reviews & Feedback

User reviews consistently highlight NGINX Plus's strengths in performance, reliability, and advanced features, while noting cost as a potential consideration.

• Strengths: Users praise its simplicity, efficiency, and modularity. It is highly regarded for load balancing, reverse proxying, and API gateway capabilities. Stability, high performance, and lightweight architecture are frequently mentioned. The product integrates well with various systems, offers seamless failover, and robust security features. Many appreciate the excellent customer support from F5/NGINX. Its ability to handle heavy loads and provide granular insights through monitoring is also a strong point.
• Weaknesses: Some users note that the initial cost can be significant for large-scale implementations, especially compared to the free open-source version. While support is generally good, some with cheaper licenses report longer response times. The lack of a built-in UI is sometimes mentioned, though not a critical flaw for many technical users.
• Recommended Use Cases: NGINX Plus is recommended for mission-critical applications requiring maximum uptime, high-traffic websites, API platforms, and complex deployments needing advanced load balancing, security, and monitoring. It is also suitable for organizations looking to consolidate load balancers, API gateways, and WAFs into a single solution.

Summary

NGINX Plus is a robust, high-performance, and feature-rich application delivery platform that extends the capabilities of NGINX Open Source with enterprise-grade functionalities and dedicated support. It excels as a web server, reverse proxy, load balancer, content cache, and API gateway, providing a comprehensive solution for modern application architectures.

Its strengths lie in its exceptional performance, low resource consumption, and ability to handle high traffic volumes efficiently. The platform offers advanced security features, including comprehensive encryption support (TLS 1.3, FIPS compliance, JWT/JWE), diverse authentication methods (OpenID Connect, client certificates), and robust access controls. Compatibility with a wide range of operating systems and flexible deployment options across cloud, on-premises, and containerized environments make it highly adaptable. The dedicated 24/7 technical support and proactive vulnerability patching from F5 are significant advantages for enterprise users.

While NGINX Plus offers substantial benefits, its proprietary licensing model and associated cost can be a consideration, particularly for smaller deployments that might find the open-source version sufficient. However, for organizations requiring advanced features like active health checks, dynamic reconfiguration, enhanced monitoring, and enterprise-level support, the investment often proves worthwhile.

NGINX Plus is highly recommended for enterprises and applications demanding high availability, scalability, stringent security, and advanced traffic management. It is particularly well-suited for critical infrastructure, API management, and environments transitioning to cloud-native or microservices architectures.

Information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.