Reverse Proxy Technology

The most basic function of an SSL VPN is its ability to receive user requests and relay them to internal servers. This gateway-type function is called reverse proxying.

Technically speaking, a reverse proxy server is a computer that sits between an internal web server and the Internet and appears to external clients as if it were the true web server. External users address the reverse proxy thinking that it is servicing their requests, when in reality it simply relays their requests to a different server usually situated on the internal network. Responses work in a similar manner—the true server responds to the reverse proxy, which in turn relays the response to the user. Reverse proxies are often deployed as part of load-balancing schemes, as part of a layered security strategy, or simply to hide real servers from users for security reasons.

Reverse proxies, as seen in the diagram overleaf, serve as entry points into an organization's web infrastructure.

Web reverse...