Section: IT & Technology · NetworkingDifficulty: Medium
Reverse Proxy
USUK
A server that forwards client requests to backend servers and returns responses.
Definition
A reverse proxy sits in front of web servers and intercepts incoming requests, forwarding them to appropriate backend servers and returning the response to the client. Unlike a forward proxy which acts on behalf of clients, a reverse proxy acts on behalf of servers. It provides load balancing, SSL termination, caching, compression, and security benefits by hiding backend infrastructure. NGINX and HAProxy are popular reverse proxy implementations.
Example
“A reverse proxy distributes incoming web traffic across five backend application servers, ensuring no single server is overwhelmed and providing seamless failover.”
Synonyms
- backend proxy
- server-side proxy
- inbound proxy
Antonyms / Opposites
- forward proxy
- client-side proxy
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Related Terms
- load-balancer
- cdn
- ssl
- firewall