What is a reverse proxy (e.g. Nginx in front of your app)?
Options
- A proxy that hides the client from websites it visits
- A server in front of the app that forwards requests (Correct option)
- A browser extension that rewrites requests it sends
- A database driver that is written for proxy servers
Answer
A server in front of your application servers that receives client requests and forwards them, often handling TLS, compression, caching and load balancing
Why
Clients connect to the reverse proxy, not directly to your app. It forwards each request to the app server(s) and returns the response.
It can terminate HTTPS, serve static files, compress responses, cache, limit rates and balance load.
A forward proxy is the opposite: it acts on behalf of clients (e.g. a company proxy for employees' browsing).
Remember
Reverse proxy = front door in front of your servers.