# HAProxy 3.4.4 Documentation > Complete English Markdown edition of the HAProxy 3.4 Starter, Configuration, and Management manuals --- LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt) --- **HAProxy** is a free, fast, and reliable reverse proxy for high availability, TCP and HTTP load balancing, and application traffic management. This component contains the complete English text of the three core HAProxy 3.4 manuals, reorganized as one flat Markdown reading sequence for OINK. ## Choose a manual {#choose-a-manual} - [Starter Guide](/docs/haproxy/load-balancing/) — 9 topics on load-balancing concepts, HAProxy architecture, features, sizing, releases, and ecosystem. - [Configuration Manual](/docs/haproxy/http-fundamentals/) — 12 chapters covering proxies, ACLs, samples, logging, filters, and every option family. - [Management Guide](/docs/haproxy/prerequisites/) — 13 chapters on startup, reloads, resources, logging, statistics, runtime CLI, debugging, and security. {.cards} ## Edition coverage {#edition-coverage} | Manual | Upstream source | Local organization | | --- | ---: | ---: | | Starter Guide | 1,695 lines | 9 flat topic pages | | Configuration Manual | 33,148 lines | 12 flat chapter pages | | Management Guide | 5,285 lines | 13 flat chapter pages | All 34 reading pages live directly under the HAProxy component root. Three non-linking divider placeholders separate the manuals in the sidebar without adding directory levels or pager stops. The complete pinned inputs and SHA-256 checksums are retained under `sources/haproxy/`. The [upstream license notice](/third_party/haproxy/LICENSE) and [GPLv2 text](/third_party/haproxy/GPL-2.0) are published beside the manuals. A reviewed Simplified Chinese companion edition is available for every page. --- Section pages: - [Starter Guide]() - [Load Balancing Fundamentals](/docs/haproxy/load-balancing/): Packet, network, server, L4, and L7 load-balancing fundamentals - [What HAProxy Is and How It Works](/docs/haproxy/architecture/): HAProxy's role, boundaries, event-driven architecture, and request-processing model - [Basic Features](/docs/haproxy/basic-features/): Proxying, TLS, monitoring, high availability, balancing, stickiness, logs, and statistics - [Standard Features](/docs/haproxy/standard-features/): Sample fetches, maps, ACLs, content switching, stick tables, rewriting, and server protection - [Advanced Features](/docs/haproxy/advanced-features/): Runtime management, operating-system capabilities, Lua scripting, and live tracing - [Sizing and Performance](/docs/haproxy/sizing/): Capacity-planning principles, performance orders of magnitude, and practical rules of thumb - [Releases, Packages, and Upgrades](/docs/haproxy/releases-and-upgrades/): Stable branches, release sources, version identification, maintenance, and upgrades - [Companion Products and Alternatives](/docs/haproxy/ecosystem/): How HAProxy relates to Apache, NGINX, Varnish, LVS, Envoy, and other load balancers - [Documentation and Community](/docs/haproxy/resources/): The upstream manual set, source locations, support channels, contacts, and licensing - [Configuration Manual]() - [1. Quick Reminder About HTTP](/docs/haproxy/http-fundamentals/): HTTP transactions, requests, responses, headers, and protocol terminology - [2. Configuring HAProxy](/docs/haproxy/configuration-basics/): File syntax, quoting, variables, conditions, time and size formats, addresses, and examples - [3. Global Section](/docs/haproxy/global/): Process security, performance tuning, debugging, and HTTP client settings - [4. Proxies](/docs/haproxy/proxies/): Defaults, frontends, backends, listeners, proxy keywords, and action references - [5. Bind and Server Options](/docs/haproxy/bind-and-server-options/): Listener, server, default-server, and DNS resolution options - [6. Cache](/docs/haproxy/cache/): Cache limitations and setup in cache and proxy sections - [7. ACLs and Sample Fetching](/docs/haproxy/acls-and-samples/): ACL matching, conditions, converters, sample fetches, and predefined ACLs - [8. Logging](/docs/haproxy/configuration-logging/): Log levels, formats, profiles, timings, captures, states, and examples - [9. Supported Filters](/docs/haproxy/filters/): Trace, compression, SPOE, cache, FastCGI, OpenTracing, and bandwidth filters - [10. FastCGI Applications](/docs/haproxy/fastcgi/): FastCGI application setup, parameters, examples, and limitations - [11. Stick Tables and Peers](/docs/haproxy/stick-tables-and-peers/): Stick-table storage and peers replication declarations - [12. Other Sections](/docs/haproxy/other-sections/): Tracing, users, mailers, errors, rings, certificates, ACME, and global health checks - [Management Guide]() - [1. Prerequisites](/docs/haproxy/prerequisites/): Expected UNIX administration and troubleshooting knowledge - [2. HAProxy Architecture](/docs/haproxy/management-architecture/): The process, threading, event loop, chroot, logs, clocks, and TCP proxy model - [3. Starting HAProxy](/docs/haproxy/starting/): Command-line syntax, options, configuration loading, and startup behavior - [4. Stopping and Restarting HAProxy](/docs/haproxy/stopping-and-restarting/): Signals, soft stops, reloads, and master-worker restarts - [5. File-Descriptor Limitations](/docs/haproxy/file-descriptors/): Descriptor limits, sizing, system constraints, and troubleshooting - [6. Memory Management](/docs/haproxy/memory/): Memory allocation, limits, pools, buffers, and process sizing - [7. CPU Usage](/docs/haproxy/cpu/): Threading, CPU affinity, saturation, profiling, and performance behavior - [8. Logging](/docs/haproxy/management-logging/): Syslog integration, startup logs, runtime logs, and log troubleshooting - [9. Statistics and Monitoring](/docs/haproxy/statistics-and-monitoring/): CSV and typed stats, runtime CLI commands, master CLI, and stats files - [10. Easier Configuration Management](/docs/haproxy/configuration-management/): Techniques for making large HAProxy configurations easier to maintain - [11. Well-Known Traps to Avoid](/docs/haproxy/traps/): Operational mistakes and surprising behaviors to avoid - [12. Debugging and Performance Issues](/docs/haproxy/debugging-and-performance/): Investigation methods for crashes, stalls, latency, and throughput problems - [13. Security Considerations](/docs/haproxy/security/): Privilege isolation, attack surface, Linux capabilities, and secure operation --- Backlinks: - [Attribution](/attribution/) - [Documentation](/docs/)