Mastering Nginx Configuration on AWS Elastic Beanstalk: A Deep Dive Guide
Tags: cloud, nginx, aws, elasticbeanstalk
Published: 2023-09-01 18:39:47

**Introduction:**
AWS Elastic Beanstalk simplifies the deployment and management of web applications. However, running into "**413 Request Entity Too Large**" errors when posting files larger than 10MB to your API on AWS Elastic Beanstalk can be frustrating. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the solution in Nginx configuration in Elastic Beanstalk.

**Prerequisites:**

1- An AWS Elastic Beanstalk environment set up.

2- Familiarity with AWS Elastic Beanstalk and basic Nginx concepts.

2- AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) installed and configured.

**Step-by-Step Guide**

**Step 1: Folder Setup**
To get started, create a specific folder structure in the root directory of your project:

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/mp1lnicvdzcu0435j46n.png)

**Step 2: Configure Nginx**
Inside the **.platform/nginx/conf.d/** folder, create a file named **proxy.conf** with your desired Nginx configuration settings. In this case, we're increasing **client_max_body_size** to handle larger file uploads:

**proxy.conf**

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5hou9m8lqlk6fbxhjz5w.png)


**Step 3: Add Container Commands**
In the **.platform/** folder, create a file named **00_myconf.config** and add the following container command to reload Nginx after configuration changes:

**00_myconf.config**

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1ufkizwuxlgv3rwstjld.png)

Detailed folder structure below.
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bzr6lnbz1opyyh2p7f5q.png)

**You can find more options about this in the below link:**
[https://docs.aws.amazon.com/elasticbeanstalk/latest/dg/platforms-linux-extend.html]

**Step 4: Zip Your Project**
Ensure that you include both the **.platform/** folder and your application in the zip file. This file should contain everything needed for your Elastic Beanstalk application.

**Step 5: Redeploying Your Application**

Now that we've successfully configured our Nginx settings, it's time to redeploy your application on AWS Elastic Beanstalk. This step ensures that your new Nginx configuration takes effect across all your EC2 instances within the Elastic Beanstalk environment. Here's a detailed walkthrough of the redeployment process:

**1- Accessing the AWS Management Console:** 
Start by logging in to your AWS Management Console. Make sure you have the necessary permissions to access and manage AWS Elastic Beanstalk environments.

**2- Select Your Elastic Beanstalk Environment:** 
Navigate to the Elastic Beanstalk service by either searching for it or finding it in the "Services" dropdown. Once in the Elastic Beanstalk dashboard, select the environment where your application is deployed.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/yvannqx4dryqr2tix1cg.png)

**3- Upload and Deploy the New Version:**
**a.** Return to your Elastic Beanstalk environment by selecting it from the dashboard.
**b.** In the environment dashboard, choose "Upload and Deploy."
**c.** Click the "Choose File" button to select the application version zip file you just created, and then click "Deploy."


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0ni0a2jfxzlvl85bhkuv.png)

**4- Monitor the Deployment:** 
AWS Elastic Beanstalk will now manage the deployment of your updated application version. You can monitor the progress by checking the environment events and logs.

**5- Confirm Successful Deployment:** 
Once the deployment is complete, verify that your application is running as expected. Test the file upload functionality that previously triggered the "413 Request Entity Too Large" error.

**6- Scaling Considerations:** 
Keep in mind that if your environment auto-scales by launching new EC2 instances, the updated Nginx configuration will automatically be applied to those instances as well. No manual intervention is needed.

By following these steps, you've successfully increased the **client_max_body_size** in your Nginx configuration on AWS Elastic Beanstalk. Your application is now ready to handle larger file uploads without encountering the "**413 Request Entity Too Large**" error.

Remember that whenever you make further configuration changes, you can repeat this deployment process to ensure that your Elastic Beanstalk environment remains up-to-date and performs optimally.

**Conclusion:**
Solving "**413 Request Entity Too Large**" errors on AWS Elastic Beanstalk is crucial for handling larger file uploads to your API. With this step-by-step guide, you can seamlessly increase **client_max_body_size** in your Nginx configuration, ensuring your application performs flawlessly. 

Happy deploying!