HTTPS tunnelling to a backend server through Apache proxy

WE are trying to setup HTTPS tunnelling to a backend server through Apache proxy but we are finding the client connect but Apache does not send through the traffic the backend server.

Config we have on our Apache proxy virtual host is

DocumentRoot "/usr/local/apache/htdocs/ibcm/" 
ServerName test.testdom.local 
ErrorLog logs/ibcm 
ServerAdmin webmaster@testdom.local 
ProxyRequests On 
AllowConnect 443 
SSLEngine on 
SSLHonorCipherOrder On 
SSLProtocol -ALL SSLv3 TLSv1 
SSLCipherSuite ALL:!aNULL:!ADH:!eNULL:!LOW:!EXP:RC4RSA:HIGH:MEDIUM 
SSLCertificateFile "/etc/ssl/crt/ibcm.crt" 
SSLCertificateKeyFile "/etc/ssl/crt/testdom.key" 
SSLCertificateChainFile "/etc/ssl/crt/CA-DOM.crt" 
 Order deny,allow 
 Deny from all 
 Order deny,allow 
 Allow from all

Anybody know what we are not doing correctly. Also we found Apache would not start without us putting in the root certificate. Thought it would not need any certificate for tunnelling so wonder if we have missed something.

1 Answer

Are you trying to set up a Forward Proxy or a Reverse Proxy (explanation: http://www.jscape.com/blog/bid/87783/Forward-Proxy-vs-Reverse-Proxy )?

Your configuration looks like a forward proxy but your post implies that you really want a reverse proxy.
See this part of the HTTPD manual for more about reverse proxy setup: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/mod_proxy.html#forwardreverse

A reverse proxy is activated using the ProxyPass directive or the [P] flag to the RewriteRule directive. It is NOT necessary to turn ProxyRequests on in order to configure a reverse proxy.

answer Feb 11, 2014 by Mandeep Sehgal

It is forward proxy we are trying to setup now because reverse proxy does not work for our backend application which is on IIS and required client certificate information to be passed to the backend.

Can you help us why the forward proxy configuration is not working?

commented Feb 11, 2014 by anonymous

In order to use forward proxy, your client must be configured for it - in which case your client will pass ALL of its traffic through the proxy.Have you done that?

If that is not what you want, then what you are trying to do is not possible with Apache.

commented Feb 11, 2014 by anonymous

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HTTPS tunnelling to a backend server through Apache proxy

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