HTTPS Reverse Proxy - Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure Reverse Proxy ======================================================================== .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **What is HTTPS Reverse Proxy?** An **HTTPS Reverse Proxy** is a reverse proxy server that handles **encrypted (HTTPS)** requests from clients, decrypts them, and forwards the plain HTTP request to internal backend servers. It can also encrypt responses before sending them back to the client. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Why is HTTPS Reverse Proxy useful?** HTTPS Reverse Proxies are useful for: - **TLS termination** (offloading SSL decryption from backend servers) - **Security**: ensures encrypted communication with clients - **Load balancing** of HTTPS traffic - **Centralized SSL certificate management** - **Access control**, **monitoring**, and **rate limiting** .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **How it works?** - The client sends an **HTTPS request** to the reverse proxy. - The proxy **decrypts the request** (TLS termination). - It then **forwards the HTTP request** to the appropriate backend server. - The backend sends a response, which may be **re-encrypted** and returned to the client over HTTPS. Tools like **NGINX**, **Apache HTTP Server**, and **HAProxy** are commonly used as HTTPS reverse proxies. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Where is HTTPS Reverse Proxy used?** HTTPS Reverse Proxies are used in: - **Web applications and APIs** - **Microservices architectures** - **Enterprise networks** - **Cloud and CDN platforms** - **SSL offloading and zero-trust security architectures** .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which OSI layer does this protocol belong to?** HTTPS Reverse Proxies operate at the **Application Layer (Layer 7)**, handling encrypted HTTP (HTTPS) traffic and often using **Transport Layer (Layer 4)** features for connection management. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is HTTPS Reverse Proxy Windows specific?** No, HTTPS Reverse Proxies are **not Windows specific**. They can be configured and run on **Windows**, **Linux**, or **macOS** systems. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is HTTPS Reverse Proxy Linux specific?** No, HTTPS Reverse Proxies are **not Linux specific**. While often deployed on Linux, they are available on multiple platforms including **Windows** and **cloud-based services**. .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which Transport Protocol is used by HTTPS Reverse Proxy?** HTTPS Reverse Proxies use: - **TCP** for establishing encrypted HTTPS connections - **TLS** (Transport Layer Security) over TCP for secure communication .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Which Port is used by HTTPS Reverse Proxy?** - **Port 443** is the standard port used for HTTPS traffic - Custom ports may be configured for specific use cases or services .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow **Is HTTPS Reverse Proxy using Client server model?** Yes, it uses the **client-server model**: - The **client** (browser or API consumer) connects to the **reverse proxy** - The proxy acts as a **server to the client** and a **client to backend servers** .. panels:: :container: container pb-4 :column: col-lg-12 p-2 :card: shadow Topics in this section, * :ref:`Learnings in this section ` * :ref:`Terminology ` * :ref:`Version Info ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Version&IEEE Details ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Usecases ` * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features ` * :ref:`Reference links ` .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step1: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Learnings in this section * In this section, you are going to learn .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step2: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Terminology * Terminology .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step3: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Version Info * Version Info .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step5: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Version&RFC Details * rfc details .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step18: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 * setup .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step19: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 * setup .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step6: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details * packet details .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step7: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Usecases * usecases .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step8: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features * features .. _HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step17: .. tab-set:: .. tab-item:: Reference links * Reference links