Which type of proxy helps in load balancing incoming traffic?

A reverse proxy is used specifically to manage incoming traffic to a server, allowing it to distribute this traffic effectively among multiple backend servers. This type of proxy sits in front of the web servers and can handle requests from clients, acting as an intermediary. By doing so, a reverse proxy can perform load balancing, directing client requests to the least loaded server or depending on specific routing rules. This ensures improved performance and redundancy, helping to maintain the availability of web applications.

In contrast, a forward proxy acts as an intermediary for clients making requests to external servers, often used for anonymity or filtering. A transparent proxy also primarily caches content and filters requests without modifying them, generally operating between the user and the external internet without the user necessarily knowing it is there. A web application firewall, while it can provide security features like traffic filtering and protection against attacks, does not typically handle load balancing on its own.

Thus, the role of a reverse proxy as a load balancer is crucial in multi-tier architecture, making it an essential component in high-availability environments.