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115 lines
4.1 KiB
Plaintext
115 lines
4.1 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "Pangolin vs. Reverse Proxy"
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description: "Learn how Pangolin's distributed architecture eliminates single points of failure and provides authenticated access to your applications"
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---
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Pangolin builds upon traditional reverse proxy principles but adds distributed architecture, tunneling, and identity-aware access control. While traditional reverse proxies are typically single-server solutions, Pangolin operates as a distributed network of points of presence that provide highly-available access to your applications.
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## Traditional Reverse Proxy Limitations
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Single Point of Failure" icon="triangle-exclamation">
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If the reverse proxy server goes down, all applications become inaccessible.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Geographic Limitations" icon="globe">
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Users far from the server location experience higher latency.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Network Dependencies" icon="network-wired">
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Requires public IP addresses and open ports on your network.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Basic Authentication" icon="shield">
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Typically relies on network-based trust rather than user identity.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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## Pangolin's Dual-Layer High Availability
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Pangolin provides high availability at two critical layers: ingress points and backend routing.
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### How It Works
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Ingress Routing">
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Request is routed to the closest available point of presence. If one goes down, there is always another point available.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Authentication">
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User identity is verified at the point of presence before getting routed to your backend.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Tunnel Selection">
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Pangolin selects the optimal tunnel route to your backend service.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Failover Handling">
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If the primary tunnel fails, traffic automatically switches to an alternative route.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Response Delivery">
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Response follows the same resilient path back to the user.
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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<Info>
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This dual-layer approach ensures your applications remain accessible even if individual points of presence or tunnel connections fail.
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</Info>
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## Key Differences
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### Tunneling vs. Direct Network Access
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| Traditional Reverse Proxy | Pangolin |
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|--------------------------|----------|
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| **Public IP Required** | **No Public IP Needed** |
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| **Open Ports (80, 443)** | **No Open Ports** |
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| **Complex Network Setup** | **Automatic Discovery** |
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| **Network-Based Security** | **Encrypted WireGuard Tunnels** |
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<Tip>
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This tunneling capability makes Pangolin ideal for environments behind restrictive firewalls, CGNAT, or corporate networks.
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</Tip>
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### Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
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Traditional reverse proxies rely on network-based trust, while Pangolin implements zero-trust access control:
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<CardGroup cols={2}>
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<Card title="Multi-Factor Authentication" icon="key">
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Support for 2FA, passkeys, and OTP.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Single Sign-On" icon="users">
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Integration with Google, Okta, and other identity providers.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Granular Permissions" icon="shield-check">
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Role-based access control and path-based rules.
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</Card>
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<Card title="Contextual Rules" icon="map-pin">
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IP-based, path-based, and geographic access policies.
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</Card>
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</CardGroup>
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<Warning>
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Unlike traditional reverse proxies, Pangolin authenticates every single request, ensuring that only authorized users can access your applications.
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</Warning>
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## Benefits Summary
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| Feature | Traditional Reverse Proxy | Pangolin |
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|---------|--------------------------|----------|
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| **Availability** | Single point of failure | Distributed, fault-tolerant |
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| **Performance** | Limited by server location | Regionally, optimized routing |
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| **Security** | Network-based trust | Zero-trust, identity-aware |
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| **Network Requirements** | Public IP, open ports | No public IP needed |
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| **Authentication** | Basic or none | Advanced, multi-factor |
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| **Scalability** | Manual scaling | Automatic regional distribution |
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<Card title="Try Pangolin Cloud" icon="rocket" href="https://pangolin.fossorial.io/auth/signup">
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Get distributed, authenticated access to your applications with Pangolin's regional network of points of presence.
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</Card>
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