Free course

Reverse Proxies and Load Balancers Course

Use Caddy to route HTTP traffic, terminate TLS, balance multiple backends, test failure behavior, and document every trust boundary.

5 modules · 25 lessons · No signup

Prerequisites: Shell Commands, Networking Foundations, HTTP, Node.js and TLS and Certificates

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What you'll learn

Run and operate a reverse proxy that routes requests, protects client identity, balances healthy backends, and fails predictably.

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Course contents

  1. Proxy foundations

    Run two backends, put Caddy in front, and inspect the separate client and upstream exchanges.

    1. ✓ Run two backend services
    2. ✓ Run a one-command reverse proxy
    3. ✓ Write a Caddyfile
    4. ✓ Inspect forwarded headers
    5. ✓ Check your understanding: proxy foundations

  2. Routing and rewrites

    Route by path and host, change upstream paths deliberately, combine static files, and proxy WebSockets.

    1. ✓ Route by path
    2. ✓ Route by hostname
    3. ✓ Rewrite an upstream path
    4. ✓ Proxy a WebSocket
    5. ✓ Check your understanding: routing and rewrites

  3. TLS and trust boundaries

    Terminate local HTTPS, protect upstream TLS, and configure forwarded client identity safely.

    1. ✓ Terminate local HTTPS
    2. ✓ Use HTTPS upstreams
    3. ✓ Define trusted proxies
    4. ✓ Protect the backend path
    5. ✓ Check your understanding: tls and trust boundaries

  4. Load balancing

    Distribute requests, add health checks, bound retries, and understand stateful application behavior.

    1. ✓ Balance two upstreams
    2. ✓ Compare balancing policies
    3. ✓ Add health checks
    4. ✓ Bound retries and side effects
    5. ✓ Check your understanding: load balancing

  5. Operate the proxy

    Read logs, set deadlines, reload safely, test failover, and document the complete traffic path.

    1. ✓ Enable structured access logs
    2. ✓ Set upstream time bounds
    3. ✓ Reload configuration safely
    4. ✓ Run the final failover lab
    5. ✓ Check your understanding: operate the proxy