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Web / NGINX Interview questions

What is the difference between a forward proxy and a reverse proxy?

The distinction comes down to which side of the connection the proxy represents.

Forward ProxyReverse Proxy
Sits in front of clients, acting on their behalf.Sits in front of servers, acting on their behalf.
Server doesn't know the real client; sees the proxy instead.Client doesn't know the real server; sees the proxy instead.
Common uses: bypassing content filters, corporate outbound traffic control.Common uses: load balancing, SSL termination, caching, hiding backend topology.

NGINX is most often deployed as a reverse proxy - fronting one or more backend applications - though it's technically capable of forward proxy configurations as well, just less commonly used that way.

In a reverse proxy setup, what does the client see?
Which deployment mode is NGINX most commonly used in?

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