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Reverse Proxy Server

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A reverse proxy server may act as a single point for all secure connections. ... price of a reverse proxy server solution ranges from free to over tens of ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Reverse Proxy Server


1
ReverseProxy Server
  • Local Government Webmasters Meeting
  • March 22, 2007 - Seattle, Washington
  • Prepared by Steven NiedermeyerWeb Systems
    Analyst, City of Bellingham

2
Overview
  • What is a reverse proxy server?
  • Business case highlights
  • Examples of available solutions
  • Considerations when implementing
  • Additional resources

3
What is a reverse proxy server (RPS)?
  • Wikipedia defines a reverse proxy as
  • A proxy server that is installed within the
    neighborhood of one or more servers.
    Typicallyutilized in front of webservers. All
    connections coming from the Internet addressed to
    one of the webservers are routed through the
    proxy server, which may either deal with the
    request itself or pass the request wholly or
    partially to anotherwebserver.

4
Example Reverse Proxy Network Diagram
5
Business Case Highlights
  • Benefits of a reverse proxy server
  • Cost of implementation
  • Potential risks of implementation
  • Potential risks if not implemented

6
Benefits of an RPS
  • Increased Security
  • Single SSL certificate
  • Caching and compression
  • Central access logs for reporting

7
Increased Security
  • A reverse proxy may be used to prevent Internet
    clients from having direct access to less secure
    web servers or applications located on isolated
    networks or intranets.

8
Single SSL certificate
  • A reverse proxy server may act as a single point
    for all secure connections. You only need to buy
    one SSL certificate.

9
Caching and Compression
  • A reverse proxy can
  • Offload other webservers by caching static
    content, such as images.
  • Compress content before delivering it to site
    visitors to optimize load times.

10
Central access logs
  • A reverse proxy server allows for
  • Centralized logging of web traffic
  • Single format for access logs
  • Simplified reporting and tracking of performance
    measures.

11
Cost of Implementation
  • The purchase price of a reverse proxy server
    solution ranges from free to over tens of
    thousands of dollars depending on the needs of
    the agency. Staff time must be invested in
    implementation, training, and establishing
    policies to govern the management of this key
    component of an agencies web presence.
  • The City of Bellingham implemented a solution for
    just over 11,000 (9,000 server, 1,500 backup
    license and FTP software, 1,000 consulting to
    enable a web application to work with the reverse
    proxy server)

12
Potential Risks of Implementation
  • Implementing a reverse proxy server
  • Creates a single point of failure for all of your
    webservers unless you include load balancing in
    your solution
  • Existing web applications may need to be modified
    in order to work correctly

13
Potential Risks If Not Implemented
  • Not implementing a reverse proxy server
  • May increase your risk of a security breach
  • May increase your operating costs for SSL
    certificates

14
Examples of Available Solutions
  • Solutions vary widely but the following are a
    couple of examples
  • Basic solution Apache HTTP Linux/Windows
    Server 2003
  • Advanced solution Microsoft Internet Security
    Application Server (ISA)

15
Considerations When Implementing
  • Set up a test environment
  • Provision a backup server with the same
    configuration as your primary reverse proxy
    server
  • Keep detailed documentation as reverse proxy
    servers may require extensive configuration

16
Additional Resources
  • Product Examples
  • Apache Software Foundationhttp//httpd.apache.org
    /
  • Microsoft http//www.microsoft.com/isaserver/defau
    lt.mspx
  • General concepts
  • Wikipediahttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_pro
    xy
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