SYSTEM-DESIGN
    intermediate

    Forward vs Reverse Proxy

    Software Engineer path · lesson 70 of 99
    Internal Corporate Network
    Employee PC 1
    Employee PC 2
    forward Proxy
    External Internet
    google.com
    Press "Send Request" to animate the full request-response cycle.

    Forward or reverse?

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    Sort each description by the kind of proxy.

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    Forward proxy

    Drop items here

    Reverse proxy

    Drop items here
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    Test your knowledge

    21 questions
    Question 1 of 21
    Score: 0

    If you want to implement SSL termination to decrypt HTTPS traffic before it reaches your internal application servers, which proxy type should you use?

    The short version

    A Forward Proxy is a personal assistant who goes to the store for you (hiding your identity). A Reverse Proxy is a store clerk who takes your order and fetches items from the back room (hiding the warehouse layout).

    In more depth

    Proxies

    A proxy is an intermediary server that sits between a client and a destination server.

    Forward Proxy

    Sits in front of Clients.

    Protects clients (hides their IP from the internet).
    Often used in corporate networks for content filtering and caching.

    Reverse Proxy

    Sits in front of Servers.

    Protects servers (hides their IP from the internet).
    Used for load balancing, SSL termination, and serving static content efficiently.

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