Add NGINX Challenge Track for Web Server Troubleshooting Scenarios

[JDeBo]

Add NGINX Challenge Track for Web Server Troubleshooting Scenarios

Overview

Add a new track of challenges focused on NGINX configuration, troubleshooting, and administration. These challenges will help participants understand common web server issues encountered in production environments.

Proposed Changes

• Add NGINX server setup to workshop infrastructure
• Create series of progressively more difficult NGINX challenges
• Integrate with existing scoring and validation system
• Provide reference documentation for NGINX concepts

Challenge Scenarios

1. Basic Configuration Issues

• Broken virtual host configurations
• Missing server blocks
• Incorrect port bindings
• File permission problems
• Wrong root directory paths

2. SSL/TLS Scenarios

• Broken certificate chains
• Misconfigured SSL parameters
• Invalid certificate paths
• Mixed content issues
• HTTP to HTTPS redirects

3. Proxy Configuration

• Broken reverse proxy settings
• Upstream server issues
• Header manipulation problems
• WebSocket proxy issues
• Load balancing configuration

Technical Requirements

1. Infrastructure

• NGINX installation and base configuration
• Multiple virtual hosts setup
• Backend services for proxy scenarios
• SSL certificate generation

2. Integration

• Add NGINX-specific test cases
• Integrate with scoring system
• Create challenge reset mechanisms
• Add logging/monitoring for validation

3. Documentation

• Challenge descriptions
• Success criteria for each scenario
• Hints/clues
• Common troubleshooting commands

Testing Considerations

• Verify each challenge can be completed
• Ensure challenges can be reset properly
• Validate scoring integration
• Test concurrent user scenarios
• Verify isolation between challenges

Implementation Steps

1. Set up base NGINX infrastructure
2. Create initial set of challenges
3. Develop validation tests
4. Write documentation
5. Integration with scoring system
6. User testing and refinement

Acceptance Criteria

• All challenges can be successfully completed
• Scoring system correctly validates solutions
• Reset functionality works properly
• Documentation is clear and complete
• Integration tests pass
• Performance impact is minimal

Notes

• Consider resource requirements
• Plan for different NGINX versions
• Include common enterprise configurations
• Focus on real-world scenarios
• Include logging/debugging challenges