NGINX announced the new features of NGINX Unit 1.16.0. The fallback routing option in the NGINX Unit 1.16.0 is similar to the NGINX “try_files” directive and the “upstreams” object introduces a round‑robin load balancing of requests across a dedicated group of backend servers. NGINX team also shared the new roadmap for future features.
The fallback Routing Option
The new feature of NGINX Unit 1.16.0 allows users to define an alternative routing action for cases when a static file can’t be served for some reason. The initial implementation of the fallback action pairs with the share action introduced in NGINX Unit 1.11.0. The new fallback option defines what NGINX Unit does when it can’t serve a requested file from the share directory for any reason. It enables NGINX Unit to single‑handedly run many powerful applications that previously required an additional software layer.
Round-Robin Load Balancing with Upstreams
The other major feature is the upstreams object which resides within the config section as a peer of the listeners, applications, routes, and settings objects. Upstream is an abstraction that groups several servers into a single logical entity to simplify management and monitoring. With this new feature, NGINX Unit greatly enhances its range of functionality: originally a solid standalone building block for managing your apps, it is steadily gaining momentum as a versatile, feature‑rich component of your overall app‑delivery infrastructure.