The word "proxy" refers to proxy servers. A proxy or proxy server. A proxy server is a software that acts as a mediator between client and server via the internet. Without the need for a proxy, a user could submit a request for the server directly and the server would provide direct access to that resource. Although this approach is simple to understand and apply using proxy servers, it does offer advantages in terms of enhanced performance and privacy, security and many more. As an additional layer of passing through, proxies serve as a security safeguard for the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the combination of server hardware as well as proxy software is often known as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers that are typically described as software as when referring to web servers. The article will offer a description of the two types: that is a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has its own unique usage situation, and is frequently misunderstood due to the similar namesake convention.




This article will provide the knowledge of what proxies and subtypes are and what they accomplish in commonly used configurations. After reading this article, you'll be able identify situations in which using proxies can be advantageous and select the most appropriate option between forward proxy and reverse proxy for any particular scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy sometimes known as open proxy. An open proxy is an agent for a user who is trying to send an online request to a server. In this instance, the entire effort to send requests initiated by the client is directed via an forward proxy. Forward proxy acting in the place of the client, will scrutinize the request. It will first determine if clients are authorized to make requests via this particular forward proxy. It then decides whether to deny requests or redirect them to the server that originally made the request. The client does not have direct connection to the internet. It can access only what the forward proxy permits it to access.




The most common reason for using forward proxy is for greater privacy or security when surfing the web. Forward proxy connects to the internet, not the client, and in this way, it is using an IP address distinct from the original IP address that the user is using.




Based on how it is created, the forward proxy can provide various functions based upon the way it's configured that lets you:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions that are based on your location.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems that offer security centrally and access based on permissions like in workplaces. If all internet traffic flows through an open forward proxy, an administrator can restrict access to only certain clients to the internet, which is filtered by the common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls at this layer of clients that may comprise multiple computers with different settings and users, the firewall could be placed at the layer which forwards proxy traffic.




It is important to be aware of the fact that forward proxy servers need to be manually configured to use and reverse proxies may be ignored from the clients. Based on the type of the IP address that the user's IP address, the server from which it originated through forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept in the dark.




There are many options to consider in the case of forward proxy options:




Apache is an well-known open-source web server, which provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another well-known open-source web server that has the ability to forward-proxy.


Squid is a forward-proxy open source that utilizes an HTTP protocol. It's not part of the complete Web server. We've got a guide on how to use Squid proxy to permit private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more suited for scenarios such as peer-to-peer traffic. You can also understand how to set up Dante proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as acting as an agent on behalf of a web server which handles incoming requests from users for. The web server can consist of a single server or even multiple servers. It can also function as an application server, for instance Gunicorn. The request will be made via the internet in general. In most cases your request is transmitted directly to the server that hosts the resources that the user is seeking. A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, separating this webserver from direct interactions with the open internet.




From the viewpoint of a user, the experience of using reverse proxy isn't any distinct from connecting to the webserver in direct contact. It's essentially the same but the client can't be able to discern the difference. The client makes an inquiry for an item and receives it without any further configuration required from the user.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




Centralized security on webservers.


Direction of the traffic that is incoming based on rules that you set up.


The caching functionality is now available to users.




Although central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy servers. However, reverse proxies offer this advantage only to the server layer and not to the layer that clients use. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at the layer of web servers, which could contain several servers that have different configurations, the majority protection of the firewall is placed in the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the burden of dealing with firewalls and dealing with requests from clients without web servers lets them focus on meeting the requirements of their customers.




In the event that there's a multitude of servers running as a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is responsible for directing which requests are directed towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers offering the same service, but having different resources or a mixture of both. They can use their HTTP protocol to serve as a standard web server, but they also can be outfitted with protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can create a reverse proxy to direct users to specific servers based on the request for resource, or adhere to certain rules regarding the amount of traffic.




Reverse proxies also benefit from their location above web servers, by providing the ability to cache data. The large static files can be set up by using caching rules in order to prevent hitting web servers with every request. Some solutions allowing users to upload static files directly without having to connect to the website server at all. In addition reverse proxy can be used to compress these assets.




The popular Nginx web server is also used as a very popular reverse proxy solution. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy service but the Apache web server has a reverse proxy feature as an additional option to Apache however Nginx was initially designed for and is focused exclusively on its reverse proxy function.



The difference between the use of forward and reverse proxy Examples



Since "forward" and "reverse" are both associated with a sense of directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic could be confusing because both kinds of proxies handle the process of responding to requests. A better approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy is to consider the specifications of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy can be useful in the development of a solution to provide web-based applications on the internet. They are your web servers when you interact on the web.




Forward proxy can be useful when it is placed before clients for personal use, or in a workplace. Forward proxy is a representation of the client's activity whenever you connect to the internet.




The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing on common naming conventions can aid in avoidance of confusion.



Conclusion



In this article, we clarified the definition of a proxy by comparing the two main types: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Examples of practical use as well as a discussion of most effective features were employed to differentiate between reverse and forward proxies. If you're interested in learning more about the use of proxy servers, follow our guide on how to set up Nginx as an Internet server and reverse proxy to Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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