You may have noticed some websites load very quickly, while some websites take a long time and often crash. This is usually done by reverse proxies like HAProxy or Nginx, these are enabled behind the scenes. Let me explain quickly what reverse proxies do.
• Share traffic: It shares website visitors across multiple servers, so that one server is not busy with all the visitors.
• Security: The reverse proxy will not expose the address of the real server, making it harder for hackers to know where to attack.
• Speed: It can cache some parts of the website, and provide them to visitors quickly.
The first time I used Nginx on a small website, it caused my website to load much faster; and it did not cost me any more money for a new server. It works!
• HAProxy: It is great at load balancing traffic, serving a large number of visitors and distributing these visitors across your servers.
• Nginx: It is great at speed and web serving. It can quickly serve a website page, as well as manage the incoming traffic.
In larger environments, I like to use both, HAProxy to distribute the visitors and Nginx to speed the user's website experience.
1. Websites stay up: If one server goes down, the reverse proxy will send the traffic to another server.
2. Websites run faster: The reverse proxy can save website pages and display them quickly.
3. More secure: The reverse proxy will block bad visitors before they even reach your server.
I have watched sites take a huge boost in traffic without any downtime due to a reverse proxy being put into action. It really makes a difference!
The next time you experience a fast-running website, remember, a reverse proxy is likely in place!
What Is a Reverse Proxy?
A reverse proxy service is a kind of middleman between the people visiting your website and the actual web server. Instead of going straight to the server, the visitors first go through the reverse proxy. This is good for many reasons:• Share traffic: It shares website visitors across multiple servers, so that one server is not busy with all the visitors.
• Security: The reverse proxy will not expose the address of the real server, making it harder for hackers to know where to attack.
• Speed: It can cache some parts of the website, and provide them to visitors quickly.
The first time I used Nginx on a small website, it caused my website to load much faster; and it did not cost me any more money for a new server. It works!
HAProxy versus Nginx - What are the Differences?
Both HAProxy and Nginx can be used to run reverse proxies, but they are good at different things:• HAProxy: It is great at load balancing traffic, serving a large number of visitors and distributing these visitors across your servers.
• Nginx: It is great at speed and web serving. It can quickly serve a website page, as well as manage the incoming traffic.
In larger environments, I like to use both, HAProxy to distribute the visitors and Nginx to speed the user's website experience.
Why Use Reverse Proxies?
So, why should you use reverse proxies?1. Websites stay up: If one server goes down, the reverse proxy will send the traffic to another server.
2. Websites run faster: The reverse proxy can save website pages and display them quickly.
3. More secure: The reverse proxy will block bad visitors before they even reach your server.
I have watched sites take a huge boost in traffic without any downtime due to a reverse proxy being put into action. It really makes a difference!
Conclusion
In summary, reverse proxies like HAProxy and Nginx can keep your websites fast, secure, and stable. They balance traffic, cache pages for fast delivery, and shield your servers from direct attacks.The next time you experience a fast-running website, remember, a reverse proxy is likely in place!