It is a proxy, also called a proxy server. It is software that acts as a mediator between client and server on the internet. Without the use of a proxy, clients could send a request every resource straight to the server and the server will serve the resource directly back at the request of the customer. While this is a simple method to comprehend and implement the addition of proxy servers can bring advantages in the form of increased performance as well as privacy, security and many other benefits. As a pass-through layer a proxy is a security guardian of the internet between clients and servers.

The consensus is that the combination of server hardware and the software used to set up proxy installations is commonly referred to by the name of proxy servers. However, this article will be focusing on proxy servers that are typically considered to be software, and also in the context of web servers. There will be a discussion of the two main types of proxy servers, which include a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Every one has its unique use scenario, which is often confused due to the same terminology.

This article will give you an understanding of the types of proxies and what subtypes they are and how they operate in the most common configurations. After having read this article, you'll be able to determine the circumstances that you can gain by a proxy, and decide which is the best choice between reverse and forward proxy options for each circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy also known by the name of an open proxy serves as the representative of a user who would like to send a request via the internet to a source server. In this instance, the whole attempt to send requests by the user will instead be sent to the forward-proxy. This forward proxy acting on behalf of the client will examine the request. The first step is to determine whether the client is allowed to accept requests through this particular forward proxy. Then, it decides to deny a request or forward it to the original server. The client is not able to have direct access to the internet. It has access to only what forward proxy permits the client to access.

A popular use for forward proxy is to achieve more privacy or security when surfing the web. A forward proxy is able to access the internet in lieu of a client, and, in this way it can use an alternative IP address to the initial IP address.

Depending on how it's been set up the forward proxy can provide different functions, based on how it is configured and allows you to:

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  Beware of ads that track you.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on your area.
  
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Forward proxies are also used for security systems that are centralized and permission-based access, such as in a workplace. All internet traffic can pass through an open forward proxy, an administrator could permit only a handful of clients online access using an ordinary firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls at the layer of clients which could comprise a range of computers with different settings and users. A firewall could be set up in the front proxy layer.

It is important to remember that forward proxies need to be set up manually to use, however reverse proxy servers will remain unnoticed by users. Based on the fact that the IP address of the user is transferred to the server from which it originated by forward proxy privacy and anonymity might be granted, or if it is left unnoticed.

There are many possibilities to explore for forward proxy options:

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  Apache is a well-known open-source webserver that offers forward proxy functions.
  
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  Nginx is a different well-known open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It isn't an complete web server application. Check out our tutorial on installing Squid proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer connections. You may also want to investigate how to set up a Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is the web server which handles requests from clients instead. The web server may serve as a single server or a number of servers. In addition, it could be used like an app server, such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations, the request comes from a user via the internet. In most cases, the request will be sent directly to the web server, which is the one that has the resources the user needs. In contrast, a reverse proxy works as an intermediary, separating it from direct contact with the open internet.

From the point of view of the client, interacting using reverse proxy isn't distinct from communicating with your website server direct. It's functionally identical and the user doesn't see the distinction. Clients make an request for a resource that is then followed by receiving it without any extra configuration required by the user.

Reverse proxies can provide features such as:

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  Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.
  
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  The sending of traffic in accordance with rules you determine.
  
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  Additional features to cache data.
  
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Although centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers. However, reverse proxy services provide this benefit to that layer of the internet server, but not the client layer. Instead of having to maintain firewalls in the server level which could contain several servers that have different configurations, most of firewall security may be handled by the reverse proxy layer. Additionally eliminating the responsibility of communicating with a firewall and interacting with requests coming from clients far from web servers lets them concentrate on serving resources.

If there are multiple servers operating in a reverse proxy The reverse proxy determines how requests are routed which server. There could be multiple web servers that provide the identical service, and each offering different types of resources or a combination of both. They may use the HTTP protocol for a traditional web server, but they could also incorporate application server protocols such as FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers based upon the requested resource or to observe certain guidelines regarding traffic volume.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their placement over web servers by offering the ability to cache data. Massive static resources can be created using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit with every request, with certain options allowing users to provide static files directly without connecting to the web server once. In addition, the reverse proxy can handle the compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx webserver is also an extremely well-known reverse proxy solution. Although Apache has a reverse proxy option however, the Apache web server does have reverse proxy capabilities as an added option for Apache while Nginx was designed originally for and specifically focused on reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Utilization

Since "forward" along with "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can confuse since both kinds of proxy handle responses and requests. In addition, the most effective method of separating between forward and reverse proxy is to examine the specifications of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is an important aspect when designing a solution to host websites on the internet. They act as your web server in any interaction with the internet.

A forward proxy is useful when used in front of customers for your own use, or in a work environment. They are your client's proxy via any communication with the internet.

The use case-based differentiation as opposed to focusing only on the common naming conventions will help avoid confusion.

Conclusion

The article clarified the definition of a proxy, with the two main types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical scenarios for use and a review of the most useful features were utilized to distinguish forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're looking to know more about the possibilities of proxies, you can read our guide on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy with Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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