Reverse Proxy

A reverse proxy is a special type of web server that forwards data from other web servers.  They improve security by allowing us to keep all of our other services behind our internal network and only expose the proxy to the World Wide Web.

 

nginx

Show difference between reverse proxy and connecting individual services to the internet.

Nginx ("engine x") is an open-source Web server, reverse proxy and load balancer that is used to power the majority of corporate domains.  Nginx can be used to host a standard HTTP(S) Web server with PHP functionality and add-on modules.  It can also be used as a reverse proxy which acts as the "public face" of that domain.  It acts as an intermediate server that receives client requests and forwards that data along to another server behind the scenes.   

This increases security by keeping the majority of data transmission on your local network and only forwarding data as requested.  Instead of routing services directly to the internet, a reverse proxy acts as a central access point to increase the attack surface and isolate other servers from the world wide web. This also provides a centralized location to cut server access in the event of emergency.

When hosting larger infrastructure with multiple servers hosting the same website to be accessible to thousands of people, a Load balancer can be used to ensure that traffic is split between the servers evenly so that everyone gets an equitable experience.

Show different servers with users and show a request going to the least populated