The term "proxy" refers to a proxy often known as a proxy server is software that serves to act as an intermediary for server and client on the internet. Without proxy, a user can send a request for the server directly and the server would then serve an item directly for the client. Although this method is easy to comprehend and implement, adding proxies provides advantages such as more performance and security, privacy, and so on. As a layer of pass-through, the proxy acts as a security layer to the internet between users and servers.




The general set of server hardware and the software used to install proxy is commonly referred to as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers which are typically described as software specifically with respect to web servers. We will present a summary of the two main types of proxies, which is the reverse proxy as well as a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type comes with its own usage scenario, which is often misinterpreted due the common terminology.




This article will provide you with an idea of how proxies work, what their subtypes are and the ways in which they can be beneficial in various configurations. If you go through this article, you'll learn to identify instances where the use of proxies is advantageous, and determine the most suitable option between forward proxy and reverse proxy for any particular situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy also referred to by the name of an open proxy is the representative of the client who is trying to send an internet request to an source server. In this scenario, every attempt to send requests by the user will instead be made through an forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in place of the client examines the request. Then, it will determine whether or not the client is able to make requests through this specific forward proxy. It will then either reject an request and forward it to the source server. The client isn't able to establish a direct connection to the internet. It is only able to connect to what forward proxy allows the client to access.




The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxy servers is to improve privacy or security when using the internet. Forward proxy allows you to access the internet rather than the client. In this process, it uses a different IP address than the IP address used by the client.




Depending on how it's set up depending on how it is configured forward proxy can offer a variety of features and allow users to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


You will be able to identify any restrictions based on your geographical location.




Forward proxies can also be used for security systems that are centralized and access is based on permissions, such as in a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic goes through an open forward proxy layer an administrator can restrict access to just a small number of internet users and be filtered by the common firewall. Instead of setting up filters for client layers, which could be used by a number of computers that have different kinds of environments, you can have a firewall at the front proxy layer.




Take note of the fact that forward proxies require manual configuration for use before they can be used, whereas reverse proxy servers can be hidden from the view of clients. Based on the fact that your IP address the user is relayed back to the server of origin by the forward proxy privacy and anonymity are granted or not.




There are many alternatives to look into for forward proxies.




Apache An open source, well-known web server with forward proxy capability.


Nginx: Another widely used open-source webserver which comes with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is a free forward proxy that works with an HTTP protocol. It's not part of the entire web server. Learn more about how to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections to Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which is more appropriate for use instances like peer-to-peer traffic. You might also want to know how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as an agent for a web server that handles customer requests on its behalf. This server can represent either a single or multiple servers. It could also serve as an app server, like Gunicorn. In any case, a request would come via the internet in general. The request is typically sent directly to the web server hosting the information the client is in need of. Instead, a reverse proxy acts as an intermediary and isolates Web servers from any direct interaction with the internet's public.




From the perspective from the client's point of view, the process of using reverse proxy is not different than interacting with the server on its own. It's the same, but the client can't be able to discern the distinction. Client makes a request for the resource and then receives it, with no extra configuration needed from the user.




Reverse proxies provide features like:




The server for the web is secure centrally.


The direction of traffic coming in is based upon rules you set.


A new feature to cache has been added.




While central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy servers. However, reverse proxies offer this feature only to the server layer but they do not offer this feature to clients. Instead of focusing on maintaining firewalls at the server layer that may contain multiple servers, each with different configurations, the majority of security for firewalls is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of communicating with firewalls and connecting to client requests off web servers enables the firewall to focus on serving the needs of their customers.




In the event that there's multiple servers being located within a reverse proxy the reverse proxy is also responsible for how requests are routed through the server that is hosting them. Multiple web servers could be offering the same service, offering various kinds of resources or a combination of both. These servers may use their HTTP protocol to serve as a web server in the traditional sense, but can also include application server protocols such as FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy settings to send users to a specific server based on the requested resource, or to adhere to certain guidelines for traffic load.




Reverse proxies may also profit by their positioning before web servers by offering the ability to cache. Large static assets may be configured using caching rules to avoid hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions allowing you to serve directly static assets without connecting to the web server in any way. Additionally, reverse proxy is able to compress these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server also functions as a powerful reverse proxy service. While Apache is also a reverse proxy solution however, the Apache web server is outfitted with reverse proxy function which is an additional feature that is available for Apache However, Nginx was initially designed specifically for reverse proxy capabilities.



The difference between Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Cases



Because "forward" as well as "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality, and false analogies to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic These labels could be confusing as both types of proxies handle requests and responses. The best way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to study the requirements of the program that you're creating.




Reverse proxy can be useful in the development of an application that connects web-based applications to the internet. They act as your web servers whenever you use the internet.




Forward proxy can be useful when used in front of customers for your personal use or in an environment that is professional. They act as your client's proxy for interactions on the internet.




Distinguishing by use case instead of solely focusing on naming conventions that are commonplace can aid in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



This article will explain what a proxy is with two kinds: forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical examples of its use and a review of the useful features were used to differentiate forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're keen to learn more about the use of proxy servers, you should look over our guide on how to set up Nginx as reverse proxy with Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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