devilbox/docs/vhost-gen/virtual-host-vs-reverse-proxy.rst

Virtual host vs Reverse Proxy

Note

Ensure you have read vhost_gen_virtual_host_templates

Table of Contents

local

Motivation

By default, all virtual hosts will simply serve files located in your document root directory within your project directory. Sometimes however your project is already its own server that will serve requests through a listening network port. (e.g. a running NodeJS application). This listening port will however only be available inside the PHP container (or any other container) you have added to the Devilbox and the webserver is not aware of this.

For this kind of project you will want to create a reverse proxy which simply forwards the requests incoming to the webserver to your application (either to the PHP container to a specific port or to any other container you have attached).

Benefits

By using the already available web server to reverse proxy requests to your service you will be able to have all the current features for you application such as:

• Have it displayed in the intranet page
• Have standardized domain names
• Have valid HTTPS

Creating a reverse proxy

Creating a reverse proxy is as simply as copying the vhost-gen templates to your project directory.

In order to make your life simple there are a few generic docs that get you started and let you know more about the theory behind it:

• reverse_proxy_with_https
• reverse_proxy_with_custom_docker

If this is too generic you can also have a look at two specific examples to setup fully automated Reverse Proxies including autostarting your application on docker-compose up.

• example_setup_reverse_proxy_nodejs
• example_setup_reverse_proxy_sphinx_docs