Uses of A Reverse Proxy: What Are They?

If you are interested in learning the uses of a reverse proxy, we made a blog to guide you through why, how, and when to implement it. Read on for more information.

Uses of A Reverse Proxy in Detail

Security 

With a reverse proxy in place, web servers are more secure from attacks because they won’t divulge their real IP addresses. Their origin servers are safe, and attackers would find it more challenging to target them directly. Any attack would only be able to reach the reverse proxy. 

Encryption with SSL 

For the origin server, encrypting and decrypting SSL connections can be a time-consuming procedure. So instead, decrypt and encrypt incoming requests and outgoing answers, accordingly, using the reverse proxy. As a result, the server would be able to run freely with fewer duties. 

Load Balancing 

With a single origin server, a website that has grown in popularity would struggle to manage the millions of requests it receives every day. You can avoid this by dividing the website across multiple servers and sharing the incoming traffic. A reverse proxy accomplishes this. It aids in the continued operation of the origin server and delivers a positive user experience. 

A reverse proxy can also improve connection speed by being located in different parts of the world. After that, a user will be sent to the closest server for the greatest speeds, resulting in faster page loading. 

Caching 

Caching reduces the time it takes for a server to load and improves the user experience. Reverse proxies have this capability. In addition, caching is useful because it allows websites to capture and reuse previously obtained data. 

For example, a user in the United States connects to a website in the United Kingdom that uses reverse proxy. Before connecting with a server in the UK, the user would connect to a local reverse proxy server in the United States. The response for that location would be cached, allowing subsequent users from the United States to connect using the cached data. As a result, there is no need to connect to the main server, which reduces load time.

Myths About Reverse Proxy Servers

The following are some common misconceptions concerning reverse proxies’ role: 

• The use of a reverse proxy ensures that the webserver is completely stable. While reverse proxies provide stability, we can’t say it’s perfect because systems are sure to have technical flaws from time to time. If this occurs and there is no backup, the system will shut down. 
• Complete security is provided through reverse proxies. Unfortunately, it’s overvalued, and hackers with the necessary expertise will be able to break past it. 
• Load balancers are reverse proxies. Although reverse proxies can help with load balancing, they are not load balancers. Instead, they merely help prevent the origin server from becoming overburdened and spread requests among servers.

The Takeaway

A reverse proxy is required, especially for websites that receive a large number of daily visitors. Slow loading is one of the biggest turn-offs for visitors to a website, and it’s bound to happen when your web server is overburdened. 

However, using a reverse proxy, this load is dispersed across several servers for optimal performance. They also aid in the security of the origin web server by limiting direct client connection. As a result, attacks from hackers and other harmful parties are diverted to the reverse proxy rather than the origin server.