What Is a Reverse Proxy? Secure Server Architecture

Is your application directly exposed to the internet? Is the app managing SSL certificates? A reverse proxy protects your app, improves performance, and centralizes infrastructure.

Forward vs Reverse Proxy

• Forward: Client → Proxy → Internet (VPN, corporate proxy)
• Reverse: Internet → Proxy → Backend servers

What Does It Do?

SSL termination, load balancing, caching, compression, rate limiting, security headers, URL rewriting.

Nginx Configuration

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name example.com;

    ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/privkey.pem;

    location /api/ {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }

    location /static/ {
        root /var/www;
        expires 1y;
    }
}

Traefik (Container-Native)

Auto-discovers services via Docker labels. Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt.

Tools

| Tool | Best For | |------|----------| | Nginx | General purpose | | Traefik | Docker/K8s | | Caddy | Auto-HTTPS, simplicity | | HAProxy | High traffic, TCP | | Envoy | Service mesh, gRPC |

Best Practices

1. SSL termination at proxy | 2. Security headers (HSTS, CSP)
2. Access logging | 4. Health checks | 5. Rate limiting

Conclusion

A reverse proxy is essential for production environments. Instead of exposing your application directly, add security, performance, and flexibility with a reverse proxy.

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