Proxy

  • A proxy is an intermediary server or
  • It sits between the client (such as a web browser or application) and the destination server, forwarding requests and responses between them.
  • Can be used for a variety of reasons:
    • security, performance,
    • anonymity, and access control.

Proxy Types

Forward Proxy

  • The client sends requests to the proxy, which then forwards those requests to the destination server.
  • It can hide the client’s identity, filter payload, and restrict direct access to backend.
+-----------+     +-----------+     +-----------+
|  Client   | --> |   Proxy   | --> |  Server   |
| (Browser) |     |  Server   |     | (Website) |
+-----------+     +-----------+     +-----------+

Reverse Proxy

  • It acts on behalf of the server, handling requests from clients and forwarding them to the appropriate server. In this case there are multiple servers.

Features of Proxy

It is often used for:

  • load balancing,
  • security (to hide the backend server),
  • caching.

Software

  • Nginx

Proxy Diagram