#atom

Server that forwards client requests to appropriate backend services

Core Idea: A reverse proxy is a server that sits between client devices and backend servers, forwarding client requests to the appropriate servers, providing benefits like load balancing, caching, SSL termination, and security.

Key Elements

Key Features

• Request forwarding and routing
• Load balancing across multiple backends
• SSL/TLS termination
• Caching for improved performance
• Security filtering and protection
• URL rewriting and path manipulation
• Authentication layer

Technical Components

• Front-facing web server
• Routing rules configuration
• Backend server definitions
• Certificate management
• Cache configuration
• Access control rules

Common Use Cases

• Hosting multiple websites on a single IP address
• Microservices architecture gateway
• Protecting backend servers from direct exposure
• Optimizing content delivery through caching
• Handling SSL/TLS for multiple services
• Single sign-on implementation
• API gateway functionality

Popular Implementations

• Nginx - Powerful, efficient web server with reverse proxy capabilities
• Apache HTTP Server with mod_proxy - Traditional option with extensive modules
• HAProxy - Specialized in high-availability load balancing
• Traefik - Modern, auto-configuring reverse proxy for containerized environments
• Caddy - Simplified configuration with automatic HTTPS
• Envoy - Modern service proxy designed for cloud-native applications

Implementation Example

Basic Nginx reverse proxy configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://backend-server:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Performance Considerations

• Connection pooling to backend servers
• Response caching for static content
• HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 support
• WebSocket proxying for real-time applications
• Buffer sizing and timeouts
• Health checking of backend services

Additional Connections

• Broader Context: Web Server Architecture (reverse proxies are a key component)
• Applications: Microservices Deployment, API Gateway
• See Also: Forward Proxy (different proxy type), Load Balancer (related technology)

References

1. Nginx reverse proxy documentation: https://docs.nginx.com/nginx/admin-guide/web-server/reverse-proxy/
2. "Reverse Proxy Fundamentals" in Web Infrastructure Handbook

#networking #web-servers #architecture #security #infrastructure

Connections:

Sources:

• From: Worklog n8n.guiom.dev