What is the purpose of a reverse proxy in an ABC server setup?

A reverse proxy serves a critical function in server architecture, primarily by acting as an intermediary between clients and backend servers. Its primary purpose is to forward client requests to the appropriate backend server. This behavior allows the reverse proxy to manage incoming traffic more efficiently by distributing requests across multiple servers, which is essential for load balancing. By balancing the load, the reverse proxy helps prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed, thus improving performance and ensuring higher availability of services.

Moreover, a reverse proxy can enhance security and provide additional functionalities, such as SSL termination, caching, and compression, which further optimize data flow and server response times. Therefore, its role in managing requests and balancing load is vital for ensuring that web applications run smoothly, especially in environments with high traffic.