The term "proxy" refers to a proxy is also referred to as a proxy server software that acts to act as an intermediary between a client and server over the internet. Without an intermediary the client would a request the resource directly to a server and the server would then serve the resource directly back for the client. While this process is simple to grasp and use, adding proxies provides advantages like increased performance as well as security and privacy and many other. In addition to providing a layer of security, proxies act as a guardian for the internet between clients and servers.




The bundle of server hardware that includes proxy software is commonly referred to as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers that are traditionally referred to as software, and also in the context of web servers. We will provide a brief overview of the two principal types: one is a forward proxy and the other being a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a distinct use, which could be confusing due to the identical name-based convention.




This article will provide you with the knowledge of what proxy services and their subtypes are, as well as the ways that they can be helpful for the most common setups. In this article you'll be able to discern the scenarios where you could benefit by a proxy, and select the best option the case of forward or reverse proxy in any situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also referred to as an open proxy serves as the representative of a customer who would like to transmit requests via the internet to an the server that created it. In this case, it's the case that all requests from the client will be sent direct into the forward proxy. This forward proxy acting in place of the client, will take a look at the request. It will first will determine whether the client is authorized to make requests via this specific forward proxy. It will then either deny requests or redirect it to the origin server. The client isn't able to have directly access to internet; it is only capable of accessing the information that the forward proxy enables the client to access.




One of the most popular reasons for using forward proxy is the desire for greater security or privacy online. Forward proxy can access the internet using the client. In this process, it uses an additional IP address as opposed to your client's IP address.




Depending on how it's been set up depending on the way it has been configured forward proxy could provide a variety of functions and the capability to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can identify limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies are also utilized in systems of central security and access is based upon permissions, like in workplaces. In the event that all internet traffic flows through an open forward proxy, a administrator may limit access to specific users to the internet via an common firewall. Instead of implementing firewalls on the client layer, which can include multiple machines with various configurations and users the firewall can be installed at the forward proxy layer.




Be aware that forward proxy servers must be manually configured to use the reverse proxy, while forward proxies may be ignored by the client. Depending on the type of IP address the client that is transferred to the origin server via the forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept in the dark.




There are numerous options to consider for forward proxy services:




Apache: A popular open-source web server, which offers forward proxy features.


Nginx: Another renowned open-source web server with forward proxy capability.


Squid: An open-source forward proxy using an HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete website server program. It is possible to refer to our instructions on how to setup Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead HTTP which makes it more suitable for use cases like peer-to-peer connections. You could also find out how to configure Dante proxy to support private connections with Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy functions in the capacity of an agent to a server on the internet and manages any requests that come in from clients. The web server can serve as a single server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it can serve as an app server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations, a request would come from a user of the internet in general. The majority of the time the request will be directed directly to the web server which has all the resources the client seeking. However, a reverse proxy serves as an intermediary that shields the webserver from direct contact with the internet.




From the perspective of a user an individual's perspective, the process of using reverse proxy isn't any different from working with the web server directly. It's functionally the same however the client is unable to tell the difference. The client makes the request to access a resource, which is followed by receiving it with no further configuration needed from the client.




Reverse proxy proxies are able to provide options, such as:




Security centralized for web servers.


The direction of traffic that is based on rules that can be create.


The caching feature is now available to users.




While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy service, reverse proxies provide this benefit only to Web server layers, not to the layer that clients use. Instead of maintaining firewalls on Web server layers which could include multiple servers with different configurations, most of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, the absence of interfacing with a firewall and interfacing with requests from clients off of web servers allows them to concentrate on delivering resources.




If there are multiple servers operating through a reverse proxy, it is also able to control how requests are routed the correct server. There are many web servers offering the same service, and each offering various kinds of resources or a mix of both. These servers could use an HTTP protocol to function as a standard web server, but they can also incorporate applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can create a reverse proxy to route users to specific servers based on the resource being requested or to follow certain traffic load rules.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their positioning in front of web servers due to the power of caching. The large static files can be arranged with caching rules to ensure that they avoid having to connect to web servers for every request. There are solutions that offer the option to directly serve static assets without having to connect to the web server at all. In addition, the reverse proxy can handle compression of the assets.




The popular Nginx webserver is an effective reverse proxy service. Although you can utilize it, the Apache web server, it also comes with reverse proxy capabilities as an additional feature of Apache which is in contrast to Nginx was initially designed for and concentrates on the reverse proxy function.



The difference between Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use. The difference between Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Utilization



Because "forward" and "reverse" have connotations that refer to directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels can be confusing because both types of proxies can handle requests as well as respond. The best way to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the needs of the application that you are developing.




A reverse proxy is useful when you're developing a solution to serve websites on the internet. They are your web servers in any interactions with the internet.




Forward proxy applications can be advantageous when used in front of client traffic for your personal use, or in a workplace setting. They represent your client's internet traffic, for any interaction on the internet.




Utilizing case-based differentiation instead of focusing on identical naming conventions will aid in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified definition of a proxy and the two most common types being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a glance at positive characteristics were utilized for the definition of forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're interested in knowing more about implementation of proxies take a look at our tutorial on how to configure Nginx to act as an Internet server, and reverse proxy on Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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