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Networking Intermediate

What is Reverse Proxy?

A server that sits between clients and backend servers, forwarding client requests and returning server responses on their behalf.

A reverse proxy accepts requests from the internet and forwards them to backend servers. Unlike a forward proxy (which serves clients), a reverse proxy serves the backend infrastructure. Clients interact with the proxy, unaware of the actual servers.

Benefits include load balancing, SSL termination, caching, compression, and security (hiding backend server details). Nginx and Apache are popular reverse proxy solutions. CDNs like Cloudflare act as global reverse proxies.

Related Terms

HTTP/HTTPS
The protocol used for transferring web pages and data between browsers and servers, with HTTPS adding encryption.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
A protocol for monitoring and managing network devices like routers, switches, servers, and printers remotely.
QoS (Quality of Service)
A set of techniques for managing network traffic to prioritize certain types of data and ensure performance for critical applications.
OSI Model
The seven-layer Open Systems Interconnection model that standardizes network communication functions from physical transmission to application protocols.
IPv6
The latest version of the Internet Protocol with 128-bit addresses, designed to replace IPv4 and solve address exhaustion.
Multicast
A network communication method that sends data to multiple recipients simultaneously without duplicating packets for each recipient.
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