Proxying based on protocol (e.g. "ws"/"wss")?

Server NGINX
1

I’m an nginx newbie, and need use use it as a front end for a website
that also handles websocket connections. I have the configuration set
up so that requests to a specific URI match a location section, which
then proxies the request to the websocket back end server, and it all
works. (Very cool.)

However, I was wondering if, rather than detecting requests to a
specific location, I could proxy all “ws://” or "wss:// requests,
independent of the URI being requested.

Is there a way to proxy all requests with a given protocol?

Thanks,
Dan

–
Daniel T. Griscom [email protected]
Suitable Systems http://www.suitable.com/
1 Centre Street, Suite 204 (781) 665-0053
Wakefield, MA 01880-2400

2

… bump?

(thanks,
Dan)

At 9:32 AM -0400 5/8/13, Daniel Griscom wrote:

Is there a way to proxy all requests with a given protocol?

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Daniel T. Griscom [email protected]
Suitable Systems http://www.suitable.com/
1 Centre Street, Suite 204 (781) 665-0053
Wakefield, MA 01880-2400

3

The scheme is available as… $scheme

On Thu, 2013-05-09 at 14:45 -0400, Daniel Griscom wrote:

location section, which then proxies the request to the websocket
Dan
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–
Steve H. BSc(Hons) MNZCS [email protected]

MSN: [email protected]
Skype: sholdowa

4

Hello!

On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 09:14:04AM +1200, Steve H. wrote:

The scheme is available as… $scheme

Yes, but WebSocket protocol uses http for handshake. So the
scheme will be either “http” or “https”. WebSocket requests can
be identified based on Upgrade header, i.e. $http_upgrade
variable.

website that also handles websocket connections. I have the

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Maxim D.
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5

Hello!

On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 02:35:35PM -0400, Daniel Griscom wrote:

… any other choices? Thoughts?

I would recommend using URI-based distinction instead (and
location{} blocks as a result). This would be most natural
solution from nginx point of view.

–

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–
Daniel T. Griscom [email protected]
Suitable Systems http://www.suitable.com/
1 Centre Street, Suite 204 (781) 665-0053
Wakefield, MA 01880-2400

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Maxim D.
http://nginx.org/en/donation.html

6

That’s great information, but now I need to figure out how to
selectively proxy to my websocket backend when $http_upgrade is
“websocket”. I see the following choices:

  1. Have nginx listen at port 80, and proxy all traffic to port XXXX
    if $http_upgrade is “websocket”, or port YYYY if not. Then set up
    nginx to handle http traffic at port YYYY, and have my websocket
    backend handle websocket traffic at port XXXX.

  2. Investigate the much-maligned “if” statement.

… any other choices? Thoughts?

Thanks,
Dan

At 1:26 PM +0400 5/10/13, Maxim D. wrote:

website that also handles websocket connections. I have the

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nginx mailing list
[email protected]
nginx Info Page

–
Daniel T. Griscom [email protected]
Suitable Systems http://www.suitable.com/
1 Centre Street, Suite 204 (781) 665-0053
Wakefield, MA 01880-2400

7

Thanks. I’ve been coming to that conclusion myself.

Take care,
Dan

At 7:00 PM +0400 5/11/13, Maxim D. wrote:

nginx to handle http traffic at port YYYY, and have my websocket

–

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–
Maxim D.
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–
Daniel T. Griscom [email protected]
Suitable Systems http://www.suitable.com/
1 Centre Street, Suite 204 (781) 665-0053
Wakefield, MA 01880-2400