What is an Nginx reverse proxy and how does it work?

What is an Nginx reverse proxy and how does it work?

An Nginx reverse proxy is a server that sits between client devices and backend servers, forwarding client requests to the appropriate server. It helps in load balancing, caching, and enhancing security.

What are the benefits of using a reverse proxy?

The benefits include improved load balancing, enhanced security, SSL termination, caching, and the ability to serve static content more efficiently.

Can you give me an example of a configuration for Nginx as a reverse proxy?

Sure! Here's a basic example:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://backend_server;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

How does it handle SSL termination?

Nginx can handle SSL termination by managing the SSL certificates and decrypting the HTTPS traffic before passing it to the backend servers as HTTP, which reduces the load on those servers.