What is a reverse proxy?
A reverse proxy is a proxy server that forwards requests to one or more servers on behalf of a client and sends the received responses back to the client. Unlike a traditional proxy, which forwards requests to external resources on behalf of the client, a reverse proxy takes on the role of an intermediary between the client and internal servers or services.
Reverse proxies are often used in networks to perform various tasks:
- SSL/TLS termination: The reverse proxy can decrypt the encryption of incoming SSL/TLS connections (HTTPS) and then forward the data traffic unencrypted to the internal servers. This allows the servers to focus on processing the requests while the reverse proxy handles the encryption.
- Authentication and Authorization: The reverse proxy can authenticate and authorize user requests before forwarding them to the internal servers. This makes it possible to implement access restrictions and ensure that only authorized users can access certain resources.
- Load Balancing: A reverse proxy can distribute incoming traffic across multiple internal servers to distribute the load evenly and optimize server utilization. This improves the scalability and availability of the application.
- Caching: A reverse proxy can cache frequently requested content to improve response times and reduce load on internal servers. This can increase the overall performance of the application, especially for busy websites or web applications.
- Security features: Reverse proxies can also provide security features such as content filtering, protection against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and protection against web application attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
Overall, the use of a reverse proxy enables improved security, performance and scalability of web applications by acting as an interface between the client and the internal servers and providing various functions to optimize and secure data traffic.