35 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
35 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
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---
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tags: [networks, proxies]
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created: Monday, February 03, 2025
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---
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# Proxies
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A standard proxy stands as a blocking layer between a client and a server. A
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client makes a request to a server but before it reaches it, it is intercepted
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by a proxy that reviews the request and decides whether to pass on to the
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requested location.
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As such, from the server's point of view, the request comes from the proxy not
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the client.
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An example application would be organisations who want to monitor or filter
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their employees web activities.
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A **reverse proxy** has the opposite orientation. It acts as buffer between a
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server and a client, filtering the requests that are sent to a server.
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This can also be for reasons of security, but most typically a reverse-proxy is
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used to manage requests to different services that a server is running.
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If a client requests `service-a.some-server/slug` the request is sent to the
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proxy operating at the root level, it siphons the request to its intended
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sub-service (`service-a`) and the port this service is running on.
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So, from the point of view of Service A, the request doesn't come from the
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external client but from the reverse proxy.
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In addition to directing traffic, reverse proxies can also implement load
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balancing: running procedures that ensure traffic is met at times of high
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capacity, ensuring that the server's resources are not exhausted.
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