The technical principles of HAN
Here you will learn more about the technical concept on which HAN is based.
Controlling access using the reverse proxy principle
Technically, HAN is based on the reverse proxy principle. This means that every access to licensed content – whether logging in, clicking on a link or downloading a document – takes place exclusively via the HAN system.
This is how HAN ensures that:
- only authorised end users are granted access to protected content,
- all licence terms are complied with,
- and all access remains secure and traceable.
For end users, access via the HAN system is entirely browser-based. No local software is required – a web browser with cookies enabled is sufficient.
Installation scenarios for a HAN system
HAN server on which the HAN management server and the HAN web server are installed together
Installation of the HAN management server and the HAN web server on two different hosts
Installation of a HAN management server and several HAN web servers on different hosts to ensure high availability
Definition
Reverse-Proxy
A reverse proxy is an intermediate web server that receives requests from a browser, communicates with an actual web server, and passes content from that server back to the browser. This means that the browser does not communicate with the actual content provider, but only with the reverse proxy server. The advantage is that the reverse proxy server can manage all the ancillary communication with the content provider that is necessary to obtain the content.
