IP masking

As explained in Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core

IP masking is the concealment of an origin resource's network address behind an intermediary address.

IP masking hides an origin server’s public network address behind an intermediary. With a CDN, users connect to the edge, which serves cached content or forwards requests to the origin. section 12.1.3

Figure 12.1 Edge-origin architectural pattern

The edge-origin pattern shows how a public CDN endpoint can serve an API without directly exposing its origin server. section 12.1.3

A practical Cloudflare configuration uses these steps:

• Create an A record for a deployment subdomain, such as win-01, pointing to the Azure VM public IP. section 12.2.3
• Set Proxy status to Proxied and TTL to Auto, so the subdomain resolves to Cloudflare rather than directly to the VM. section 12.2.3
• Use only the proxied custom subdomain publicly; keep the Azure-managed DNS name hidden because it resolves directly to the VM. section 12.2.3

Checking the masked endpoint

Open the proxied HTTP or HTTPS subdomain after saving the record. A 522 Connection timed out response from Cloudflare indicates that Cloudflare is handling the request but cannot reach the origin, such as when no web server listens on ports 80 or 443. section 12.2.3

How Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core covers it

How deep it goes

Explains the edge-origin flow and configures a proxied DNS record, stopping short of provider-independent implementation details.

Examples

Demonstrates Cloudflare’s proxied win-01 subdomain, Azure VM address, DNS record, and 522 connectivity test.

What you can do after

Operate Cloudflare DNS by creating a proxied A record and verifying that requests reach the masked endpoint.

How it connects

Connects IP masking with CDNs, proxying, DNS, caching, origin servers, WAFs, and DDoS protection.

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Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Google Anthos in ActionIP masquerading rewrites the source address of network traffic so that it appears to originate from another address, commonly a node address.

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Related concepts

• virtual private networkimplemented by · A virtual private network is a logical network that connects systems across an underlying network through protected, typically encrypted, communication.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.