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What is Reverse proxy?

A server placed in front of web servers that receives users' requests on the servers' behalf and relays them to one or more servers behind it. It takes on roles such as handling HTTPS encryption in one place (TLS termination), storing and returning frequently used responses, spreading load over several servers and hiding the configuration of the servers behind it. It differs in placement and in what it protects from a forward proxy, which sits on the users' side and connects to outside sites on their behalf.

Japanese name: リバースプロキシ

Reverse proxy appears in 2 practice questions across 2 topics, including Web Technology Basics, Cloud and Container Basics.

Field: Web Technology Basics

Try it: questions about Reverse proxy

Which of the following correctly describes a reverse proxy?

  1. AWhen PCs in a company view sites on the internet, it connects to outside servers on their behalf and records or restricts browsing
  2. BIt performs, on the user's behalf, the queries that convert domain names to IP addresses, starting from the root servers, and keeps the results for a while
  3. CIt is placed in front of web servers, receives users' requests on their behalf, relays them to the servers behind it and handles TLS processing and the like
Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. It is placed in front of web servers, receives users' requests on their behalf, relays them to the servers behind it and handles TLS processing and the like

A reverse proxy is placed on the server side, receives requests from users and relays them to one or more servers behind it. It takes on roles such as performing HTTPS encryption in one place (TLS termination), storing and returning frequently used responses and distributing requests over several servers, and it can also hide the configuration of the servers behind it from users. What connects to the outside on behalf of users in a company is a forward proxy, which differs in being placed on the users' side.

Reverse proxy in the explanations

Questions that mention Reverse proxy (2)

  1. Which of the following correctly describes a reverse proxy?
  2. In a Kubernetes cluster, HTTPS requests arriving for one host name should be routed to the api Service if the path begins with /api, and to the web Service otherwise. Which of the following resources is suitable for defining this routing rule?

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Related terms

TLS Kubernetes HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) Pod Cookie (HTTP cookie) CORS (cross-origin resource sharing) DOM (Document Object Model) Event loop HTTP method HTTP status code

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