mod_proxy_http rewrite problem (Apache Users)

All,

I'm facing what seemingly is a very difficult challenge, tyring to set up a proxy to a backend application. I say 'seemingly very difficult' because I have reached out to the HTTPD community, codementor.io (offering money for help), as well as consultants who say they really are not skilled enough to help. When I started looking into this (I've had to put it on the back burner due to more urgent needs) I didn't anticipate the setup being excessively difficult, but it seems to be. My original message to the group was:

http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/httpd-users/201802.mbox/%3CCAOuzmw778mmRssv-%3DpLNB86xSReUnqqfzpY-%3D0LtgrxQyR28%2BA%40mail.gmail.com%3E

I did receive valuable guidance and appreciate the help. My ultimate goal is to get the proxy set up using mod_jk and I posted this message to the group:

http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/httpd-users/201803.mbox/%3CCAOuzmw5DRVon_sEkUbV%2BAHDTYHrRj%3D%2By9EHOeNWdEb%2BXPN3p%3Dw%40mail.gmail.com%3E

At this point I just want to get the proxy working using mod_proxy_http. I've had some success in that I can get the vanity URL to serve the application login page securely, but I'm having trouble with the back and forth between the proxy and the application. Here is the virtual host configuration I am using:

ServerName vanity.example.com

ServerAlias www.vanity.example.com

SSLEngine on

SSLProxyEngine on

SSLProtocol all -SSLv2 -SSLv3

SSLCipherSuite HIGH:MEDIUM:!aNULL:!MD5:!SEED:!IDEA

SSLCertificateFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/my_bundle.crt

BalancerMember https://app1.example.com:8443/frontpage route=node1

BalancerMember https://app2.example.com:8443/frontpage route=node2

BalancerMember https://app3.example.com:8443/frontpage route=node3

ProxySet lbmethod=bybusyness

</Proxy>

ProxyPreserveHost On

ProxyPass / balancer://applicationcluster/ stickysession=JSESSIONID

ProxyPassReverse / balancer://applicationcluster/ stickysession=JSESSIONID

RewriteEngine On

RewriteRule "^/frontpage(.+)" "$1" [R,L]

</VirtualHost>

This configuration allows for the frontpage to serve properly, however trying to log in fails as the rewrite rule again strips the '/frontpage' off of the requested path but it is needed for logic on the application side:

[Thu Jun 07 11:22:41.711001 2018] [rewrite:trace2] [pid 101871:tid 140147827910400] mod_rewrite.c(470): [client 10.24.3.10:64324] 10.24.3.10 - - [vanity.example.com/sid#55fa483335d8][rid#7f76a401a100/initial] rewrite '/frontpage/zkau' -> '/zkau', referer: https://vanity.example.com/login.zul

I'm not even sure why the rewrite rule initially allows for the log in page to serve, but if I don't have it in place the request goes into a loop. I don't want to make any changes on the application side, only on the proxy.

Is there a good way to handle this? A rewite condition?

I appreciate any guidance.

Thanks in advance,