Load Balancing and Reverse Proxies

Reverse Proxies: Nginx and HAProxy

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Advanced Reverse Proxy Architectures

Learning Objectives

•Master Nginx and HAProxy configuration syntax for high-performance reverse proxying.
•Implement SSL termination to offload cryptographic overhead from application servers.
•Apply header manipulation techniques to preserve client context and enhance security.
•Design robust rate limiting and connection pooling strategies to protect backend infrastructure.

Lesson Outline

LearnStep 1/3

Advanced Reverse Proxy Architectures

The Role of the Reverse Proxy

In modern distributed systems, reverse proxies are the gatekeepers. They sit between clients and backend services, handling tasks like load balancing, caching, SSL termination, and request sanitation. For senior engineers, understanding the nuances of Nginx and HAProxy is essential for designing resilient infrastructure.

Nginx Configuration for Proxying

Nginx uses a block-based configuration. The core directive for proxying is proxy_pass. Critical optimizations involve handling upstream keepalives and buffering.

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HAProxy: The TCP/HTTP Specialist

HAProxy is event-driven and strictly separates logic into frontend (incoming) and backend (processing). It is renowned for its observability and complex load-balancing algorithms.

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SSL Termination

Offloading SSL/TLS at the proxy level reduces CPU load on application servers and simplifies certificate management. Both Nginx and HAProxy support 0-RTT resumption and OCSP stapling.

Rate Limiting Strategies

Protecting backends from DDoS or noisy neighbors is a key proxy responsibility.

Nginx: Uses the leaky bucket algorithm via limit_req_zone.
HAProxy: Uses stick tables to track counters per IP or session ID in memory.

Nginx Rate Limit Example:

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