Web operations powerhouse NGINX Inc. is expanding its portfolio in a build to capture more of the market for application automation tools.

The company today pulled back the curtains on the NGINX Application Platform, a suite that promises to help enterprises manage their web services in a more robust way. The toolkit centers on NGINX’s flagship web server, NGINX Plus, which is used by the likes of Groupon Inc. and BuzzFeed Inc. to deliver content. It’s based on an open-source system of the same name that powers tens of millions of sites.

NGINX Plus is joined by two entirely new tools that were unveiled today. The first, NGINX Controller, allows administrators to centrally monitor and manage web services across multiple environments. At its core are policy-based controls for fine-tuning the behavior of NGINX Plus instances.

NGINX Control can be used to optimize how traffic is distributed among applications, the way that content is cached and several other key functions. The platform expands upon the configuration automation mechanism that was introduced as part of NGINX Plus 12 earlier this year. Once they’ve released a change, administrators can check the impact via a built-in monitoring console.

The other tool rolling out today is called NGINX Unit. It’s an application server designed to automate some of the foundational operational processes that NGINX Plus doesn’t cover. Among others, the software enables developers to update application components without incurring any downtime.

Completing the NGINX Application platform is the ModSecurity firewall. The software, which was added to the web server in May, can fend off SQL injection attempts and a wide range of other attacks.

Bundling all the tools into a single package appears intended to make them more appealing to enterprises. Buying everything from the same supplier is usually simpler, both for billing and because support requests can be directed to a single supplier.

Image: Unsplash