Web adaptor as reverse proxy?

MatthewLofgren · ‎09-02-2015

Currently we have ArcGIS Server and Web Adapter (iis) sitting on a single machine in our DMZ serving only map/feature services (no applications). I would like to move the ArcGIS Server into our internal network to make use of windows authentication and leave the Web Adapter out in the DMZ for external requests. It sounds like I can do this as long as port 6080 is open between the two servers.

In the documentation there is a note stating "The use of a reverse proxy server can potentially add an overhead to requests to your ArcGIS Server services." ArcGIS for Server Help . I'm confused in that sometimes the Web Adapter is referred to as a reverse proxy and sometimes they seem like they are spoken as being mutually exclusive. Is a Web Adapter always considered a reverse proxy and therefore always adding this overhead?

Would there be significantly different amounts of overhead in the following two scenarios? ArcGIS Server and Web Adapter on single machine in DMZ vs. Web Adapter in DMZ with ArcGIS Server in internal network. We average about 10,000 request/day and are nearly pushing the limits of our hardware - I am wary of potential performance hits.

JasonTipton · ‎09-02-2015

Web Adaptor = Reverse Proxy + Load Balancer

That's it. The biggest use of it is for the Reverse Proxy, so they are just about interchangeable terms. It also acts as a load balancer if you have a multi-machine site.

The Web Adaptor will add a small amount of overhead, because you have to process every request, and then forward them on to ArcServer whether they are on the same machine or on different machines. If traffic just went straight to ArcServer, it would be cutting out the middleman.

If all you are using this for is a reverse proxy and your company has a corporate reverse proxy, you could actually just use that and not use the web adaptor. You don't need 2 reverse proxies, and the corporate one is probably done at the hardware level on devices specifically designed for proxying. It may also include the ability to load balance as well.

The trade off of this is giving up control from the GIS Dept to the Network guys and having to rely on them to make any future changes. Also, you will probably need a seperate subdomain for ArcGIS Server and any maps that use the data instead of having them both on 1 subdomain, especially if using https. This one shouldn't be too big of a deal.

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JasonTipton · ‎09-02-2015

Web Adaptor = Reverse Proxy + Load Balancer

That's it. The biggest use of it is for the Reverse Proxy, so they are just about interchangeable terms. It also acts as a load balancer if you have a multi-machine site.

The Web Adaptor will add a small amount of overhead, because you have to process every request, and then forward them on to ArcServer whether they are on the same machine or on different machines. If traffic just went straight to ArcServer, it would be cutting out the middleman.

If all you are using this for is a reverse proxy and your company has a corporate reverse proxy, you could actually just use that and not use the web adaptor. You don't need 2 reverse proxies, and the corporate one is probably done at the hardware level on devices specifically designed for proxying. It may also include the ability to load balance as well.

The trade off of this is giving up control from the GIS Dept to the Network guys and having to rely on them to make any future changes. Also, you will probably need a seperate subdomain for ArcGIS Server and any maps that use the data instead of having them both on 1 subdomain, especially if using https. This one shouldn't be too big of a deal.