LEMP

LEMP is a widely used open-source web stack for hosting dynamic websites and applications. The acronym stands for Linux, Nginx (engine-x), MySQL or MariaDB, and PHP. In a typical LEMP deployment, Linux provides the operating system; Nginx serves HTTP requests and static content with high efficiency; PHP is executed by PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) to generate dynamic content; the database stores relational data in MySQL or MariaDB.

Nginx acts as the web server and can also function as a reverse proxy and load balancer, while PHP-FPM manages PHP worker processes for executing PHP scripts. MariaDB is a common drop-in replacement for MySQL, offering broad compatibility and features. The stack emphasizes performance and scalability, particularly under high concurrency and low memory conditions.

Compared with the LAMP stack, LEMP uses Nginx instead of Apache. This affects configuration and module availability; Nginx does not support .htaccess-style overrides, and site configuration is typically handled in centralized server blocks. PHP integration relies on PHP-FPM rather than an Apache PHP module.

Deployment considerations vary by Linux distribution but commonly include installing Nginx, PHP-FPM, and a MySQL-compatible database, followed by configuring PHP-FPM pools and Nginx server blocks. Performance tuning may involve enabling OPCache, appropriate PHP and Nginx process limits, and caching strategies. Security practices include keeping software up to date and configuring TLS for HTTPS.