Features¶
Navigator provides a comprehensive set of features designed specifically for Rails applications, from basic process management to advanced regional routing.
Core Features¶
Process Management¶
- On-demand startup - Rails apps start when first requested
- Dynamic port allocation - Automatically finds available ports
- Graceful shutdown - Clean termination with proper cleanup
- Auto-restart - Crashed processes automatically restart
- Resource limits - Configurable pool sizes and timeouts
Learn more about Process Management
Static File Serving¶
- Direct filesystem serving - Bypass Rails for static content
- Configurable caching - Set cache headers for different content types
- Try files behavior - nginx-style file resolution
- MIME type detection - Automatic content type headers
- Performance optimization - 10-40x faster than Rails serving
Authentication¶
- Multiple hash formats - APR1, bcrypt, SHA support
- Pattern-based exclusions - Flexible public path configuration
- Per-application auth - Different authentication per app
- htpasswd compatibility - Drop-in replacement for nginx auth
Learn more about Authentication
Hot Configuration Reload¶
- Zero-downtime updates - Reload config without restart
- Signal-based - SIGHUP or command-line trigger
- Atomic changes - All changes applied together
- Process preservation - Existing Rails processes continue running
Advanced Features¶
Fly-Replay Routing¶
- Multi-target routing - Route to regions, apps, or specific machines
- Smart fallback - Automatic reverse proxy for large requests
- Pattern matching - Flexible URL pattern configuration
- Method filtering - Apply rules to specific HTTP methods
Machine Suspension¶
- Auto-suspend - Fly.io machines suspend after idle timeout
- Request tracking - Monitor active requests for idle detection
- Automatic wake - Machines wake on incoming requests
- Zero-downtime - Seamless suspend/resume cycles
Learn more about Machine Suspension
Try Files Behavior¶
- nginx compatibility - Same behavior as nginx try_files
- Multiple suffixes - Try different file extensions
- Index file support - Automatic index.html resolution
- Rails fallback - Proxy to Rails when no file found
Structured Logging¶
- slog integration - Modern Go logging with structured output
- Configurable levels - Debug, info, warn, error levels
- Request tracking - Detailed request flow logging
- Performance metrics - Response times and process information
Feature Comparison¶
vs nginx + Passenger¶
| Feature | Navigator | nginx + Passenger |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Single YAML file | Multiple config files |
| Process management | Built-in | Requires Passenger |
| Hot reload | ✅ SIGHUP | ❌ Restart required |
| Multi-tenant | ✅ Native support | ⚠️ Complex setup |
| Memory usage | ~20MB base | ~100MB+ base |
| Setup complexity | Simple | Complex |
vs Standalone Puma¶
| Feature | Navigator | Standalone Puma |
|---|---|---|
| Static files | ✅ Optimized serving | ❌ Rails overhead |
| Process pooling | ✅ Multiple processes | ⚠️ Single process |
| Authentication | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Application level |
| Load balancing | ✅ Automatic | ❌ External required |
| Zero-downtime deploys | ✅ Process rotation | ⚠️ Manual setup |
vs Docker + Kubernetes¶
| Feature | Navigator | Docker + K8s |
|---|---|---|
| Resource usage | ✅ Lightweight | ❌ Heavy overhead |
| Deployment complexity | ✅ Single binary | ❌ Complex orchestration |
| Local development | ✅ Same as production | ❌ Different environment |
| Scaling | ⚠️ Single server | ✅ Multi-server |
| Service discovery | ✅ Built-in routing | ✅ Native K8s |
Performance Features¶
Smart Resource Management¶
- Dynamic allocation - Processes start/stop based on demand
- Connection pooling - Efficient connection reuse
- Memory optimization - Minimal memory footprint
- CPU efficiency - Low CPU overhead
Caching Strategies¶
- Static file caching - Long-lived cache headers
- Process caching - Keep Rails processes warm
- Configuration caching - Cached config parsing
Load Balancing¶
- Round-robin - Distribute requests across processes
- Health checking - Avoid sending requests to crashed processes
- Graceful degradation - Handle process failures elegantly
Security Features¶
Access Control¶
- HTTP Basic Auth - Industry standard authentication
- Pattern-based exclusions - Flexible public path configuration
- Per-application security - Different security policies per app
Process Isolation¶
- Separate processes - Rails apps run in separate processes
- Working directories - Each app has its own working directory
- Environment isolation - Separate environment variables
Configuration Security¶
- Environment variables - Secrets from environment, not config files
- File permissions - Secure configuration file handling
- No hardcoded secrets - Template-based secret management
Monitoring and Observability¶
Request Tracking¶
- Structured logging - JSON-formatted logs with request context
- Response time tracking - Monitor application performance
- Error tracking - Detailed error information
Process Monitoring¶
- Process lifecycle - Track process starts, stops, crashes
- Resource usage - Monitor memory and CPU usage
- Health status - Process health checking
System Integration¶
- systemd compatibility - Works well with systemd
- Log aggregation - Compatible with log management systems
- Metrics export - Structured data for monitoring systems
Platform-Specific Features¶
Fly.io Integration¶
- Machine suspension - Auto-suspend idle machines
- Fly-Replay routing - Intelligent request routing
- Regional deployment - Deploy close to users
- Internal networking - Secure inter-service communication
General Cloud Support¶
- Health check endpoints - Standard health checking
- Graceful shutdown - Proper signal handling
- Environment configuration - 12-factor app compliance
- Container friendly - Works well in containers
Feature Roadmap¶
Short Term (Next Release)¶
- Metrics endpoint - Prometheus-compatible metrics
- SSL termination - Optional HTTPS support
- Rate limiting - Built-in rate limiting
Medium Term¶
- Auto-scaling - Dynamic process scaling
- Circuit breakers - Failure isolation
- Distributed tracing - OpenTelemetry integration
Long Term¶
- Multi-server support - Clustering capabilities
- Advanced routing - Content-based routing
- Plugin system - Extensible architecture
Getting Started with Features¶
- Start Simple - Begin with basic process management
- Add Static Files - Optimize performance with direct serving
- Configure Authentication - Secure your applications
- Enable Hot Reload - Streamline configuration updates
- Explore Advanced Features - Try Fly-Replay and machine suspension