Reverse Proxy Scenario

A proxy server can also provide external clients with access to internal resources the reside behind the corporate firewall. When a proxy server is used to handle connections into a private network, the process is called reverse proxying. The term “reverse” refers to the fact that traffic flows in the opposite direction from normal proxy traffic flow.

A forward proxy is best used to filter content, increase performance, and log user accesses. A reverse proxy provides these benefits and more. You can use a reverse proxy to load balance across multiple servers, provide failover capabilities, and provide access to corporate resources in a safe and secure manner.

In a reverse proxy scenario, the client is not even aware that it is using a proxy server. This transparency is one of the key differences between a forward and reverse proxy server scenario.

URL Mapping

The URL Mapping feature enables the Proxy Server to function as a reverse proxy or a junction by acting as a front-end server. Based on the client's URI, access is provided to the back-end application servers.

The features included in URL Mapping are:

• URL Mapping

• URL rewriting in HTTP headers, HTML content, JavaScript, and Style Sheets

• Per-application cookie management

• Pass-through cookies, including cookie renaming

• Junction selection based on a last-seen cookie

For information on the Server Application Functions (SAFs) used in URL Mapping, see Server Application Functions (SAFs).