One of the various functions that can be assumed by a proxy-server (caching websites and similar) is the functionality of a reverse proxy.

A reverse-proxy is a web server which receives requests from a browser oriented to a web server, communicates with the web server and returns received responses to the browser. This means that the browser does not communicate with the provider themself, but only with the reverse-proxy server. The task of the reverse-proxy-server is to receive queried content communicating directly with

the provider (web server) and delivering content to the browser.

When working with a HAN server, the access point is mandatory in the form of a URL address (http://<HAN-Server>/han/<HAN-ID>) for each organization. A user requires such a URL address if they have access to this resource. The HAN server then starts communication with the provider and processes / executes saved scripts (e.g. login to the provider). Finally, the target page will be delivered to the users.

According to the above definitions, HAN is a reverse-proxy.