Using HTTP Rewrites with HAProxy

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Using HTTP Rewrites with HAProxy

Wouldn’t it be great if we could manage all our HTTP requests, all in one place? HAProxy has the power to implement HTTP rewrites, changing the request as it moves between the client and the backend servers, transparently. In this hands-on lab, we’re going to get hands-on with HAProxy, using it to configure and test a basic HTTP rewrite. We’re also going to consolidate 2 HTTP `frontends` into 1, using access control lists (ACLs) to direct traffic to the correct `backend`, based on request hostname. Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to configure an HAProxy installation to implement a basic HTTP rewrite as well as implement HAProxy ACLs.

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Lab Info

Level

Intermediate

Last updated

Sep 20, 2025

Duration

30m

Challenge

Create a Rewrite and Some ACLs
We're going to create a new subdirectory on the site, /textfiles and move our test.txt file there. We will handle requests for the file in its original location, /test.txt, using an HTTP rewrite in HAProxy.

Perform the following:
- Start by creating the new /usr/share/nginx/html/textfiles directory in each container using the podman exec command.
- Next, we'll move the test.txt file to the /textfiles subdirectory.
- Check your work by opening a bash shell in one container using podman exec.
  
  Check the contents of the /usr/share/nginx/html directory.
  
  Check the contents of /usr/share/nginx/html/textfiles.
  
  Exit the container.
- Perform the following checks with curl:
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8100/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/textfiles/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8100/textfiles/test.txt
  
  The first 2 will fail, the second 2 should work.
- Add a rewrite to each of the frontends in the HAProxy configuration file that looks for requests for files that end in .txt and sets the path for those requests to /textfiles/.
  
  Restart the haproxy service.
  
  Perform the following checks with curl:
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8100/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/textfiles/test.txt
  
  http://127.0.0.1:8100/textfiles/test.txt
  
  All checks should work now.
Challenge

Consolidate the HTTP Frontends Using ACLs
We're going to replace the 2 HTTP frontends with a single frontend, using ACLs, so that requests for www.site1.com are directed to the site1 backend, and requests for www.site2.com are directed to the site2 backend.

Perform the following:
- Consolidate the 2 frontends into a single http frontend.
  
  Bind the frontend to port 80 for all addresses.
  
  Keep the current rewrites.
  
  Add an ACL for each site, so that requests for www.site1.com are directed to the site1 backend, and requests for www.site2.com are directed to the site2 backend.
  
  Leave the 2 backends untouched.
  
  Restart the haproxy service.
  
  Perform the following checks with curl:
  
  http://www.site1.com/test.txt
  
  http://www.site2.com/test.txt

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