A proxy is also known as a proxy server is software that functions as an intermediary between client and a server on the internet. Without proxy servers, users would send a request to the item to an online server and the server will deliver the resource directly back to the client. While this is a simple method to understand and implement, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in terms increased performance and privacy, security and many more. Alongside adding a layer of security, proxies act as a security guardian of the internet, separating clients from servers.




The general consensus is that the server hardware and proxy software is also frequently referred to proxy servers. But, this article will be focusing on proxies which are usually classified as software, and in the case of web servers. We will present a summary of the two main types, namely which are a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use, which can be confusing because of a similar name convention.




This article will give you an idea of the nature of proxies and what subtypes they are and how they function in normal configurations. By reading the article you'll be able to recognize the circumstances in which it is beneficial to use a proxy, and decide on the appropriate choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy for any scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



In another way a forward proxy, also referred to as open proxy. In other words, an open proxy serves as the representative of a user who would like to forward a request via the internet to an origin server. In this scenario every request from the client will instead be routed direct through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in place of the client, will look into the request. The first step is to determine if this client has the right to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It then decides whether to deny a request and transfer it onto the server that originally received it. The client is not able to have direct access to the internet. It only has access to what the forward proxy permits it access to.




The primary reason for people for using forward proxy services is to gain greater privacy or security when surfing the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet in place of a client, and in this manner it can employ an alternative IP address to the IP address originally used by the client.




Depending on how it's been previously configured forward proxy servers may offer a wide range of options and allow you to:




Beware of ad-tracker.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine limitations based on your geographical location.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems that offer central security and authorization based access, such as in the workplace. When all internet traffic passes through an open forward proxy layer administrators can restrict access to only certain clients to the internet filtered through an common firewall. Instead of having firewalls for the client layer that could include a variety of computers with different user and environment the firewall can be placed within the forward proxy layer.




It is important to note that settings for forward proxy need to be manually set up in order to be used, while reverse proxy settings can be ignored by clients. Based on whether the IP address of a client is passed to the original server via forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted or denied.




There are a variety of alternatives to think about for forward proxies:




Apache is a well-known open-source web server that has forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source webserver with forward proxy features.


Squid: A free forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete Web server service. Follow our step-by-step instructions to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy that runs on the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP which makes it better suited to situations such as peer-topeer traffic. It is also possible to look at the procedure for installing the Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves as a proxy for a web server that handles incoming requests from clients. Web servers can comprise a server or multiple servers. Also, it could be used as an application server like Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios the request for an application comes by a user on the internet as a whole. In the majority of cases the request is directly sent to the server that hosts the data the user is seeking. Instead, a reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, protecting Web server from any direct interactions with the public internet.




From a consumer's point view that is an individual's view, connecting via a reverse proxy no any different from working with an internet server direct. It's exactly the same thing, however the client is unable to see the distinction. The client requests a resource and then receives it, without any additional configuration required by the client.




Reverse proxies offer features like:




Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.


Controlling traffic that is inbound, based on rules that you can set up.


The caching feature is now available to users.




While central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxy providers offer this benefit only to the server layer and not the client layer. Instead of managing firewalls for the web server layer, which could contain multiple servers with different configurations, most of the firewall security is targeted at reverse proxy layers. Also, the removal of the responsibility to interact with firewalls and also interacting with clients' requests outside of web servers permits them to concentrate on providing the needs of their customers.




In the event that there's multiple servers hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy will also be responsible to direct which requests are routed to the server. There may be several web servers that provide identical content offering different kinds of content or a mixture of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol in the same way as a standard web server however, they may also use different protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. You can also configure reverse proxy servers to redirect the clients towards specific servers based on the requested resource or to adhere to specific rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position ahead of web servers, by providing the ability to cache. The large static files can be configured using caching rules to prevent hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions that permit the server to serve static assets directly without connecting to the web server once. Additionally, the reverse proxy can control compression of these files.




The popular Nginx web server also functions as a very popular reverse proxy option. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy service, it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is also able to function with a reverse proxy function, it is an additional feature of Apache however Nginx was originally designed to focus on the reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Examples



Because "forward" and "reverse" have a connotation of directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing since both types of proxy deal with requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy is to examine the requirements of the program you're creating.




Reverse proxy is helpful when building a web-based applications over the internet. They serve as your web servers for when you use the internet.




Forward proxy can be beneficial when it is displayed before clients for personal use or within the corporate setting. They represent your customers whenever you use the internet.




The use case-based differentiation instead of focusing on commonly used naming conventions can help in eliminating confusion.



Conclusion



This article defined the meaning of a proxy with the two types of proxy: the forward one and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of the beneficial characteristics were employed to identify between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about how to set up proxy servers, you can refer to our guide on how you can set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy with Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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