ArcGIS Desktop applications do not work with reverse proxied ArcGIS Server Services

Description

ArcGIS Server Web services that are properly configured to work in a reverse proxy system architecture, as specified in the ESRI Knowledge Base Article in the Related Information below, are inaccessible to ArcGIS Desktop applications and ArcGIS Server Web ADF applications. This can manifest in many ways including MapServices not returning requested maps.

Cause

Prior to ArcGIS Server 9.2 Service Pack 3, ArcGIS Server requests to ArcGIS Server for available Web services, configured in a reverse proxy architecture, returned improperly formed URLS.

Additionally, ArcGIS Desktop applications, prior to ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 Service Pack 3, did not properly handle relative URLs returned by server from requests for available services.

Workaround

1. Install ArcGIS Server 9.2 Service Pack 3 and configure the reverse proxy system architecture as described in the ESRI Knowledge Base Article in Related Information below.
2. Install ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 Service Pack 3.