Reverse Proxy for Secure On-Premises Service Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
On-premises cloud native systems face security vulnerabilities due to direct Internet connections, exposing internal IP addresses and domain names, which can lead to data breaches when client machines are compromised with malware, necessitating the use of forward proxy servers for privacy and security.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a reverse proxy in the on-premises network to establish secure connections with external devices, simplifying communication by configuring the reverse proxy to operate with various forward proxies, including cloud-based services, thereby hiding internal network addresses and enabling network monitoring to block malicious activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct Internet connection is implemented, then communication between on-premises services and external devices is enabled, but internal IP addresses and domain names are exposed leading to security vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
A reverse proxy server is introduced as an intermediary component between on-premises services and external devices. The reverse proxy receives external requests, forwards them to appropriate services, and returns responses, thereby enabling communication while preventing direct exposure of internal IP addresses and domain names. This mediator architecture resolves the contradiction by allowing ease of operation through standardized proxy communication while maintaining security through hidden internal network structure.
2Reliability
If forward proxy servers are deployed for each service, then security and monitoring capabilities are improved, but device complexity and configuration burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple forward proxy requirements are merged into a single reverse proxy solution. Instead of deploying separate forward proxy servers for each service, the reverse proxy consolidates all proxy functionality in one component that handles requests for multiple services. This reduces device complexity by eliminating redundant proxy infrastructure while maintaining security through centralized proxy management and monitoring capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional forward proxy architecture is inverted to a reverse proxy architecture. Rather than having services initiate connections through forward proxies to external devices, the reverse proxy initiates connections to services and forwards external requests to them. This inversion simplifies the architecture by having a single entry point for external communication while maintaining the same security and monitoring benefits, thereby reducing configuration complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments provide a method for establishing secure connections between several services operating in an on-premises network and external devices operating in an external network. The method configures each service to communicate with a reverse proxy operating in the on-premises network. The reverse proxy establishes a secure connection with each service. The method programs the reverse proxy to communicate with a forward proxy that establishes communications with the external devices. In some embodiments, the forward proxy is part of the on-premises network, while in other embodiments the forward proxy is a cloud-based service. Through the reverse and forward proxies, the on-premises services communicate with the external devices securely. For instance, in some embodiments, the forward proxy hides internal network addresses (e.g., IP addresses) and domain names of on-premises services and allows administrators to configure network monitoring to monitor and block malicious activities. The reverse proxy, in these embodiments, simplifies the connection between the on-premises services and their respective forward proxy by taking over the task of establishing communication with a myriad of potentially different forward proxies that can be used in different deployments. All the on-premises services have to do is to communicate with the reverse proxy.