The term "proxy" refers to a proxy is also known as a proxy server. It is piece of software acting as an intermediary client and server via the internet. Without the proxy, a user could send a request for resources directly to a server, and it would serve the resource directly for the client. While this is a simple method to grasp and implement however, adding proxy servers could bring benefits including improved performance as well as privacy, security and more. As an additional layer of pass-through, the proxy serves as a security guardian of the internet between servers and clients.




In general, the bundled system of server hardware coupled with installed proxy software is often called a proxy server. This article will discuss the proxies that are usually considered to be software, and specifically in relation to web servers. The article will provide a detailed discussion of two types of proxies, the other being forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the reverse. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application, and is frequently confused because of the similar namesake convention.




This article will provide you with an idea of the what proxies and subtypes are in terms of their importance for the common setups. After reading this article, you'll be able to recognize situations where the use of proxy servers is beneficial, and you can then select the best choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy, based on the circumstances.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also known in the context of the open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wishes to send an internet request to the server that originated it. In this case any attempts to send requests made by the client will instead be directed through forward proxy. Forward proxy in place of the client will review the request. First, it will find out if the client is allowed to receive requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then deny any request, or send it to the origin server. The client is not able to have direct access to the internet; it can only reach what forward proxy permits it to connect to.




The most common reason to use forward proxies is the increased privacy or anonymity when surfing the web. Forward proxy's access to the internet as clients and as such it can utilize an IP address that is different from the IP address of the user.




Depending on how it's been configured the forward proxy will give you a range of options as well as the ability to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions based on the location you are in.




Forward proxies can also be employed in systems that offer central security and access to users based on permissions, for instance at work. If all internet traffic passes through a forward proxy and administrators are able to allow only specific clients to access the internet through a single firewall. Instead of putting firewalls for the client layer, which can involve many machines with different settings, environments and users A firewall could be placed in a forward proxy layer.




It is important to remember to set forward proxy preferences need to be set up manually to permit the use of these proxy servers in order to be used, while reverse proxies are able to not be detected by the user. Depending on whether an IP address belonging to a user is sent to the server that originated it through the forward proxy privacy and security can be granted or not.




There are numerous options to think about when it comes to forward proxy choices:




Apache An open source well-known web server that has forward proxy features.


Nginx A renowned open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A free forward proxy that utilizes it's HTTP protocol. It's not the entire Web Server System. It is possible to refer to our article on the best way to configure Squid proxy to allow connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it better suited for scenarios such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to learn how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to web servers, and takes care of requests from clients for the web server. The web server can serve as a single server, or multiple servers. It could also serve as an application server, such as Gunicorn. In any event, the request for an application comes through the internet in general. The request will typically go directly to the web server which hosts the information that the user is trying to find. Reverse proxy, however, acts as an intermediary in order to block your web server from contact via the web's public.




From the perspective of a user's view, interacting with reverse proxy isn't different from communicating with Web server in direct contact. It's functionally the same but the client can't discern the distinction. The client requests an item and receives it, with no additional configuration needed by the client.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The web server is secured centrally.


Directing traffic in accordance with the rules you have set.


The caching functionality was added to the application.




While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this function only for only the server layer, but not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls on Web server layers, which could comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority of firewall security is directed to the reverse proxy layer. In addition, taking the burden of interacting with firewalls and responding to requests from clients off web servers enables them to concentrate on providing resources.




If there are more than one servers with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also responsible for controlling which requests go at which server. There may be several web servers that are running within the server each offering different types of resources or a mix of the two. These servers could use the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server. They could also incorporate protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also configure reverse proxy settings to redirect the clients towards specific servers in accordance with the service they require, or to observe certain guidelines regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also make use of their location over web servers by making use of caching. Massive static resources can be set up using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit with each request, with some solutions even allowing you to provide static files directly without connecting with the server. Additionally, reverse proxy can manage compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx webserver is an extremely popular reverse proxy solution. While the Apache web server comes equipped with reverse proxy function as an added feature that is available for Apache whereas Nginx was initially designed for and focused on reverse proxy functions.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases



Since "forward" in addition to "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality, as well as misleading comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can be confusing because both types of proxies can be used to respond to requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy servers is to look at the needs of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy is an effective tool when you are designing a solution to host websites on the internet. They represent your web servers in any interaction with the Internet.




Forward proxy is a great tool to have facing clients to use for personal purposes or even in a work environment. They can be used to represent the traffic of your clients when you are on the internet.




A distinction that is based on the use rather than using the standard name conventions can aid you in avoidance of confusion.



Conclusion



The article explained what a proxy is and the two kinds of proxy being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of its use and a discussion of most beneficial features was used to differentiate forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're looking to learn the ways to use proxies, we recommend you read our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as an reverse proxy and internet server on Apache running the Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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