Reverse Proxy Protocols
========================

This section introduces various proxy types used to route web traffic through intermediate servers for purposes such as security, anonymity, or access control.

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   HTTP_Reverse_Proxy
   HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy
   TCP_Reverse_Proxy
   UDP_Reverse_Proxy
   WebSocket_Proxy
   API_Gateway
   Content_Delivery_Network

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   * - Proxy Type
     - Description
     - Use Case
   * - HTTP Reverse Proxy
     - A server that forwards HTTP requests to backend application servers.
       *Provides caching, routing, and access control.*
     - Load balancing and web acceleration.
   * - HTTPS Reverse Proxy
     - Similar to HTTP reverse proxy, but handles TLS/SSL — offloading handshake and encryption.
       *Enables secure termination and inspection.*
     - SSL termination and secure routing in web infrastructure.
   * - TCP Reverse Proxy
     - Forwards generic TCP streams to backend services.
       *Supports non‑HTTP protocols at the connection level.*
     - Proxying SMTP, database connections (e.g., MySQL), or any TCP-based service.
   * - UDP Reverse Proxy
     - Relays UDP datagrams to backend services.
       *Enables proxying for stateless or real-time protocols.*
     - Gaming servers, VoIP, DNS reverse proxying.
   * - WebSocket Proxy
     - Proxies WebSocket (WSS/WS) connections, preserving persistent bidirectional channels.
       *Supports real-time client-server communication with proxy routing.*
     - Chat apps, live dashboards, real-time messaging services.
   * - API Gateway
     - A specialized reverse proxy managing API traffic, with rate limiting, auth, and transformation.
       *Acts as a front door for microservices APIs.*
     - Secure and controlled access to microservice endpoints.
   * - Content Delivery Network (CDN)
     - Reverse proxy network distributed globally to cache and serve content close to users.
       *Accelerates delivery and reduces origin load.*
     - Static asset delivery, video streaming, and global web performance acceleration.

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: HTTP Reverse Proxy

      **Concept:** Reverse proxy handling HTTP traffic (Layer 7) :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

      **Main Features:**

      - Routes HTTP requests to backend servers
      - Supports caching, load balancing, URL rewriting, access control, and request filtering :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

      **Use Cases:**

      - Web acceleration and content caching
      - Hiding backend servers and managing access :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTPS Reverse Proxy – handles TLS
      - API Gateway – includes API-specific features

      .. panels::
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         **Let us learn more about HTTP Reverse Proxy:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <HTTP_Reverse_Proxy_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <HTTP_Reverse_Proxy_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <HTTP_Reverse_Proxy_step3>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Version&IEEE Details <RDP_step5>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <RDP_step18>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <RDP_step19>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details <RDP_step6>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Usecases <RDP_step7>`

         * :ref:`HTTP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features <RDP_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <HTTP_Reverse_Proxy_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./HTTP_Reverse_Proxy.html
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            Jump to "HTTP Reverse Proxy"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: HTTPS Reverse Proxy

      **Concept:** Reverse proxy that terminates TLS connections and forwards decrypted HTTP traffic :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

      **Main Features:**

      - Handles SSL/TLS handshake and encryption/decryption
      - Enables inspection or filtering of encrypted traffic
      - Offloads CPU-intensive cryptographic work from backend servers

      **Use Cases:**

      - Secure browsing with centralized certificate management
      - Corporate environments that need encrypted traffic introspection

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTP Reverse Proxy – simpler, no encryption
      - API Gateway – TLS handling plus API management

      .. panels::
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         **Let us learn more about HTTPS Reverse Proxy:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step3>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Version&IEEE Details <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step5>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step18>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step19>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step6>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Usecases <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step7>`

         * :ref:`HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./HTTPS_Reverse_Proxy.html
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            Jump to "HTTPS Reverse Proxy"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: TCP Reverse Proxy

      **Concept:** Generic reverse proxy forwarding raw TCP connections (Layer 4) :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

      **Main Features:**

      - Forwards arbitrary TCP connections
      - No protocol-level inspection or transformation
      - Useful for load balancing and access control at TCP layer

      **Use Cases:**

      - Proxies for SMTP, databases, or custom TCP services
      - Handling encrypted non‑HTTP protocols seamlessly

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTP/HTTPS – HTTP-aware
      - UDP Reverse Proxy – for stateless UDP use cases

      .. panels::
         :container: container pb-4
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         :card: What You Will Learn in This Section

         **Let us learn more about TCP Reverse Proxy:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step3>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Version&IEEE Details <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step5>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step18>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step19>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step6>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Usecases <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step7>`

         * :ref:`TCP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <TCP_Reverse_Proxy_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./TCP_Reverse_Proxy.html
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            Jump to "TCP Reverse Proxy"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: UDP Reverse Proxy

      **Concept:** Reverse proxy forwarding UDP datagrams at Layer 4

      **Main Features:**

      - Proxies stateless UDP traffic
      - Useful for protocols like DNS, VoIP, real-time gaming

      **Use Cases:**

      - DNS reverse proxying, VoIP gateways
      - Real-time multiplayer game servers requiring proxy routing

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - TCP Reverse Proxy – for TCP connections
      - WebSocket Proxy – for persistent HTTP upgrades

      .. panels::
         :container: container pb-4
         :column: col-lg-12 p-2
         :card: What You Will Learn in This Section

         **Let us learn more about UDP Reverse Proxy:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step3>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Version&IEEE Details <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step5>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step18>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step19>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Protocol Packet Details <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step6>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Usecases <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step7>`

         * :ref:`UDP_Reverse_Proxy Basic Features <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <UDP_Reverse_Proxy_step17>`


         .. button-link:: ./UDP_Reverse_Proxy.html
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            Jump to "UDP Reverse Proxy"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: WebSocket Proxy

      **Concept:** Reverse proxy that supports WebSocket protocol upgrade and persistence

      **Main Features:**

      - Maintains long-lived, bidirectional connections over HTTP
      - Supports proxying WebSocket messaging seamlessly

      **Use Cases:**

      - Real-time apps: chat, live updates, dashboards

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTP/HTTPS – not suitable for persistent streams

      .. panels::
         :container: container pb-4
         :column: col-lg-12 p-2
         :card: What You Will Learn in This Section

         **Let us learn more about WebSocket Proxy:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <WebSocket_Proxy_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <WebSocket_Proxy_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <WebSocket_Proxy_step3>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Version&IEEE Details <WebSocket_Proxy_step5>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <WebSocket_Proxy_step18>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <WebSocket_Proxy_step19>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Protocol Packet Details <WebSocket_Proxy_step6>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Usecases <WebSocket_Proxy_step7>`

         * :ref:`WebSocket_Proxy Basic Features <WebSocket_Proxy_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <WebSocket_Proxy_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./WebSocket_Proxy.html
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            Jump to "WebSocket Proxy"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: API Gateway(Reverse Proxy)

      **Concept:** A reverse proxy plus API management capabilities (routing, auth, rate limiting) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

      **Main Features:**

      - Provides routing, authentication, rate limiting, transformations, logging
      - Acts as a unified entry point to microservices APIs

      **Use Cases:**

      - Managing API traffic in microservices architecture
      - Enforcing security and policy uniformly across services

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTP Reverse Proxy – no API governance
      - Load Balancer – lacks API-level features

      .. panels::
         :container: container pb-4
         :column: col-lg-12 p-2
         :card: What You Will Learn in This Section

         **Let us learn more about API Gateway:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <API_Gateway_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <API_Gateway_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <API_Gateway_step3>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Version&IEEE Details <API_Gateway_step5>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <API_Gateway_step18>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <API_Gateway_step19>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Protocol Packet Details <API_Gateway_step6>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Usecases <API_Gateway_step7>`

         * :ref:`API_Gateway Basic Features <API_Gateway_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <API_Gateway_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./API_Gateway.html
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            Jump to "API Gateway"

.. tab-set::

   .. tab-item:: Content Delivery Network (CDN)

      **Concept:** Distributed reverse proxy network for caching and content delivery :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

      **Main Features:**

      - Caches content across geographically distributed edge servers
      - Improves performance and reduces latency for end-users
      - Offloads traffic from origin servers

      **Use Cases:**

      - Static asset delivery (images, CSS, JS), video distribution, global website performance

      **Alternative Proxies:**

      - HTTP Reverse Proxy – single location caching
      - API Gateway – API-specific control, not global distribution

      .. panels::
         :container: container pb-4
         :column: col-lg-12 p-2
         :card: What You Will Learn in This Section

         **Let us learn more about CDN:**

         * :ref:`Learnings in this section <Content_Delivery_Network_step1>`

         * :ref:`Terminology <Content_Delivery_Network_step2>`

         * :ref:`Version Info <Content_Delivery_Network_step3>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Version&IEEE Details <Content_Delivery_Network_step5>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv4 <Content_Delivery_Network_step18>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Basic Setup on Ubuntu using IPv6 <Content_Delivery_Network_step19>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Protocol Packet Details <Content_Delivery_Network_step6>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Usecases <Content_Delivery_Network_step7>`

         * :ref:`Content_Delivery_Network Basic Features <Content_Delivery_Network_step8>`

         * :ref:`Reference links <Content_Delivery_Network_step17>`

         .. button-link:: ./Content_Delivery_Network.html
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            Jump to "Content Delivery Network"