Before reload
● nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Wed 2025-05-28 17:00:05 UTC; 12h ago
Docs: man:nginx(8)
Process: 3743792 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/nginx -t -q -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 3743793 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 3743794 (nginx)
Tasks: 5 (limit: 9484)
Memory: 838.1M
CPU: 20min 42.835s
CGroup: /system.slice/nginx.service
├─3743794 "nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on;"
├─3743795 "nginx: worker process"
├─3743796 "nginx: worker process"
├─3743797 "nginx: worker process"
└─3743798 "nginx: worker process"
May 28 17:00:04 localhost systemd[1]: Starting nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
May 28 17:00:05 localhost systemd[1]: Started nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
After reload
● nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Wed 2025-05-28 17:00:05 UTC; 12h ago
Docs: man:nginx(8)
Process: 3743792 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/nginx -t -q -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 3743793 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 628657 ExecReload=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; -s reload (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 3743794 (nginx)
Tasks: 5 (limit: 9484)
Memory: 839.8M
CPU: 20min 44.231s
CGroup: /system.slice/nginx.service
├─3743794 "nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on;"
├─3743795 "nginx: worker process"
├─3743796 "nginx: worker process"
├─3743797 "nginx: worker process"
└─3743798 "nginx: worker process"
May 28 17:00:04 localhost systemd[1]: Starting nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
May 28 17:00:05 localhost systemd[1]: Started nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
May 29 05:23:02 localhost systemd[1]: Reloading nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
May 29 05:23:03 localhost nginx[628657]: 2025/05/29 05:23:02 [notice] 628657#628657: signal process started
May 29 05:23:03 localhost systemd[1]: Reloaded nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
After restart
● nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Thu 2025-05-29 05:23:27 UTC; 2s ago
Docs: man:nginx(8)
Process: 628992 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/nginx -t -q -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 628994 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 628995 (nginx)
Tasks: 5 (limit: 9484)
Memory: 50.2M
CPU: 1.073s
CGroup: /system.slice/nginx.service
├─628995 "nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on;"
├─628996 "nginx: worker process"
├─628997 "nginx: worker process"
├─628998 "nginx: worker process"
└─628999 "nginx: worker process"
May 29 05:23:26 localhost systemd[1]: Starting nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
May 29 05:23:27 localhost systemd[1]: Started nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
Basically reload didn't generate new workers, but restart did.