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 than normal proxy traffic flow.

While forward proxies are best used to filter content, increase performance, and log user accesses, reverse proxies provide these benefits and more. A reverse proxy may be used to load balance across multiple servers, provide fail-over 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 is one of the key differences between a forward and reverse proxy server scenario.