Setting Up ARR (Application Request Routing) as a Reverse Proxy with IIS
Jul 02, 2025 pm 03:22 PM
Yes, you can use ARR with IIS as a reverse proxy by following these steps: first install ARR and URL Rewrite via Web Platform Installer or manually; next enable proxy functionality in IIS Manager under ARR settings; then configure reverse proxy rules to specify which requests to forward to backend servers; optionally adjust caching, health checks, and header rewrites for improved performance and reliability—once configured, IIS with ARR effectively forwards traffic while hiding backend services.
Yes, you can absolutely use ARR (Application Request Routing) with IIS as a reverse proxy — and it's actually one of the more common ways to handle this kind of setup on Windows servers. The main idea is that IIS, with ARR enabled, sits in front of your backend applications (like Node.js, Tomcat, or even another IIS site), accepts incoming requests, and forwards them along — all while keeping the backend invisible to the outside world.
Here’s how to get it working smoothly.
Install ARR and URL Rewrite
Before anything else, you need to make sure both ARR and the URL Rewrite module are installed on your IIS server.
- ARR doesn’t come pre-installed, so you’ll need to grab it via Web Platform Installer (or manually install the MSI).
- URL Rewrite is a separate module but required for ARR to function properly.
Once installed, open IIS Manager, select the server node, and double-click "Application Request Routing Cache" — you should see a dashboard where you can enable proxy settings.
Enable Proxy Functionality
By default, ARR is not configured to act as a reverse proxy. You have to explicitly turn that on:
- In IIS Manager, go to the server-level ARR settings.
- Click “Proxy” in the left-hand menu.
- Check the box labeled “Enable proxy.”
This step is crucial — if you skip it, ARR won’t forward traffic at all.
Also, keep in mind:
- You can tweak timeouts and buffer sizes here if needed.
- Make sure your firewall allows traffic between IIS and your backend service.
Set Up the Reverse Proxy Rule
Now comes the part where you tell IIS what requests to forward and where to send them.
Go to the site or application in IIS where you want the reverse proxy to live, then:
- Open “URL Rewrite”
- Click “Add Rule(s)…”
- Choose “Reverse Proxy” under the “Inbound” section
- Enter the backend server address (e.g.,
http://localhost:3000) - Optionally, add rewrite rules to modify headers or URLs
The rule will look something like this in web.config:
<rule name="ReverseProxyInboundRule1" stopProcessing="true">
<match url="api/(.*)" />
<action type="Rewrite" url="http://backend-server/api/{R:1}" />
</rule>A few things to note:
- Use specific URL patterns to avoid proxying unintended paths.
- If you're rewriting host headers, make sure to set them correctly in outbound rules.
- Don’t forget to test the response from the backend — sometimes cookies or redirects break if headers aren't handled right.
Optional: Fine-Tune Caching and Health Checks
If you're using ARR’s caching features, you can improve performance by serving cached content for static assets or less dynamic parts of your app.
Also, ARR supports health checks — meaning it can detect when a backend server is down and route traffic elsewhere (if you have multiple endpoints). This is optional but handy in production setups.
To configure:
- Go to Application Request Routing Cache → Advanced Settings
- Set cache duration and define conditions for bypassing the cache
- Under Server Farms, set up health tests if you’re load balancing
Keep in mind that enabling caching might cause stale content issues if not managed carefully.
That’s basically it — once everything is configured and tested, your ARR IIS reverse proxy should be up and running without too much fuss. It's not overly complex, but there are a few moving parts that need to line up just right.
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