A proxy is also known as a proxy server software that acts as a mediator between a client and server via the internet. Without a middleman the user would an inquiry directly to the server and the server will serve the resource directly back at the request of the customer. Although this procedure is easy to understand and apply the addition of proxies can bring benefits such as more performance, privacy and security, and many other. Apart from providing a layer of security, proxies act as a security guardian of the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the bundle of server hardware that includes proxy software is often referred by the name proxy servers. But, this article will focus on proxy servers that are traditionally referred to as software, and also in the context of web servers. We will present a summary of the two main types: one being a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use, which could be difficult due to the similar name-based convention.




This article will provide you with the understanding of the types of proxy services available and their subtypes are, as well as the ways they can be useful for the most common setups. In this article, you'll in a position to recognize the scenarios that you can gain from a proxy and choose the best option the case of forward or reverse proxy in any situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also known as an open proxy serves as the agent of a client who wants to forward requests via the internet to an the server that created it. In this scenario it is the case that all requests from the client will be sent straight through the forward proxy. Forward proxy who is acting on behalf that of the customer, is able to take a look into the request. At first, it will decide whether the client is authorized to send requests through this specific forward proxy. Then, it can either deny requests or redirect them to the server that originated it. The client will not be able to have direct access to the internet; it is only able to access the information that the forward proxy enables its connection to.




One popular reason to use forward proxy is the need for more privacy or security online. Forward proxy has the ability to connect to the internet as a client, and in this manner, it utilizes another IP address in comparison 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 perform a variety of tasks and the capability to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine limitations based on your geographic location.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems that provide central security and access is based on permissions, for example at work. If all internet traffic is routed by an open forward proxy a administrator may restrict access to certain clients to the internet through the common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls for the client layer that can contain multiple devices with different configurations and users A firewall could be installed at the forward proxy layer.




Be aware that forward proxies must be manually configured to use, whereas reverse proxies can not be noticed by the user. Depending on the kind of IP address the client, when it is sent to the server from which it originated via the forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or left transparent.




There are numerous possibilities to look into for forward proxy services:




Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server, which offers forward proxy features.


Nginx is another well-known open-source webserver with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A free and open source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete Web server software. We have instructions for setting up Squid proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead HTTP, making it more suitable for use cases like peer-to-peer connections. It is also possible to learn how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections with Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves acting as an intermediary for the web server and handles the incoming requests of clients on its behalf. Web servers can function as a single server, or a number of servers. It could also serve as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations the request will come from a user who is on the internet at large. Most of the time, the request would be directed directly to the web server which has all the resources that the user is seeking. In contrast, a reverse proxy serves as an intermediary that shields the webserver from direct contact with the open internet.




From an individual or user's point of view the procedure of using reverse proxy is not any different from working with the website server in direct contact. It's essentially the same thing, however the client is unable to discern the difference. The client sends the request to access an item, and it is then received with no further configuration required from the client.




Reverse proxy proxies can provide options, such as:




Security centralized for web servers.


Controlling traffic inbound using rules that you create.


The caching function has been added to the app.




While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy solutions, reverse proxies give this benefit only to Web layer servers and not to the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls on Web server layers, which can comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the bulk of the firewall security is aimed at the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the necessity to interface 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 working behind a reverse proxy it also controls how requests are routed the correct server. There are many web servers offering the same service, each serving different types of resources, or some combination of both. These servers could use their HTTP protocol to perform the role of a standard web server, however, they may also use applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy services to redirect customers to a specific server based on the resource being requested or to adhere to certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their position in front of web servers due to the power of caching. Large static assets can be arranged by caching rules so that they don't have to connect to web servers for every request. There are solutions that provide the possibility of serving directly static assets, without needing to connect to the web server in any way. Furthermore, reverse proxy can be used to handle compressing the assets.




The popular Nginx web server can be described as an efficient reverse proxy service. Although you can utilize the Apache web server also includes a reverse proxy as an additional function of Apache as opposed to Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on the reverse proxy feature.



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



Because "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality, and false connections to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels can be confusing because both kinds of proxy services can handle requests as well as responses. Instead, a better way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy providers is to take into account the requirements of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy is a good option when you are developing an application that can serve web applications on the internet. They act as your web server in any interactions on the web.




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




A case-based distinction instead of focusing on the similar naming conventions will make it easier to avoid confusion.



Conclusion



In this article, we clarified the meaning of a proxy with the two primary kinds of them being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a glance at positive characteristics were utilized for the definition of forward proxies as well as reverse proxy. If you're interested to learn more about how proxies are implemented check out our guide on how to set up Nginx to act as an Internet server, and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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