A proxy is also referred to an application called a proxy server that serves as an intermediary between client and server over the internet. Without the use of proxy servers, users could make a request for servers directly and servers would then serve direct to users. Although this may be a straightforward procedure to comprehend and use, the addition of proxies can bring benefits such as enhanced performance, privacy, security, and much more. As an additional layer of pass-through, proxies serve as a security barrier on the internet between servers and clients.




In general, the integrated set of server hardware along with installed proxy software is often referred as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers that are generally referred to as software, and as in the context of web servers. This article will give a description of the two types of proxy servers, which include a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has a distinct application, and is frequently confused because of the resemblance to the namesake convention.




This article will give you an understanding of types of proxy services, what their subtypes are, and how they can be helpful for setups that are common. If you read this article, you'll to recognize situations where it is beneficial to use the proxy service and determine the best option between forward and reverse proxy in any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy sometimes known in the context of an open proxy is the agent of the client, trying to send an online request to the server that made it. In this situation the attempts to make requests made by the user will be sent straight to the forward proxy. In this scenario the forward proxy acting in the client's stead, will scrutinize the request. It will first decide if this client is able to make requests via this specific forward proxy. Then, it can either deny requests or redirect them to the server it originated from. The client isn't allowed an internet connection directly. It has access to only what the forward proxy allows for it to link to.




The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxy services is to gain greater privacy or anonymity on internet. A forward proxy utilizes the internet instead of an individual client and during this manner, it may make use of an alternative IP address in place of the primary IP address that is used by the client.




Depending on how it's been set up, a forward proxy can offer a variety of features and let you:




Beware of ads that track you.


Circumvent surveillance.


Establish restrictions based upon the your location.




Forward proxies can also be utilized in systems that provide centralized security and access based on permissions, for instance in a workplace. If all internet traffic is routed through an open forward proxy layer an administrator is able to permit only a few clients access to the internet using a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls set up at the client layer which can involve many machines with varying settings and users there is a way to put a firewall set up at the front proxy layer.




Note that forward proxies require manual setup in order to permit their use and reverse proxies are able to be omitted by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of a user is sent to the source server through the forward proxy, privacy and security can be granted or left transparent.




There are many alternatives to look into for forward proxies:




Apache is a well-known open-source web server, which provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another widely-used open-source webserver, which includes forward proxy functions.


Squid: A free and Open Source Forward Proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. This option doesn't include an entire Web server software. Learn more from our guide on how you can install Squid proxy to enable private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante: A forward proxy that operates using the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP to make it better to work in situations like peer-to-peer connections. You might also wish to learn how to create a Dante proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary for a web server, handling incoming requests from clients on its behalf. The web server could comprise one server or several servers. It could also be used as an app server like Gunicorn. In any of these situations the request will originate from a user on the internet at large. In the majority of cases it is transmitted directly to the server that hosts the information that the user wants. A reverse proxy is a intermediary to separate Web servers and prevent direct communication with the public internet.




From a consumer's point the client's point of view using a reverse proxy is no anything different than working with a Web server in direct contact. It's basically the same thing, however clients aren't able distinguish between the two. Client requests the resource, and it gets it, with no further configuration required from the user.




Reverse proxies provide features like:




A central layer of security that protects the server.


Controlling traffic that is inbound according to rules that you can set up.


New feature added to caching.




Central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxy providers offer this benefit to the layer of the webserver rather than the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls at the server level which may contain multiple servers with various configurations, the majority of firewall security is concentrated upon the reverse proxy. Furthermore, the elimination of the responsibility of interacting with firewalls and interacting with client requests off of web servers allows firewalls to focus on providing the necessary resources.




If there are multiple servers participating within a reverse proxy the reverse proxy also takes care of directing the requests to the server. There may be multiple web servers offering the same content, providing different kinds of services or a mixture of both. They could use the HTTP protocol similar to the traditional web server. However, they can also be able to use application server protocols such as FastCGI. There is the possibility to set up a reverse proxy to send visitors to specific server depending on the service being requested or to comply with certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their positioning prior to web servers through the capability of storing data. Large static assets can be configured using caching rules to prevent needing to connect with web servers for every request, with some solutions even allowing users to directly serve static assets without having to connect to the web server for even one time. Additionally the reverse proxy is able to deal with the compression on these resources.




The well-known Nginx web server also functions as a reliable reverse proxy option. However, Apache can also be a reverse proxy option however, the Apache web server is equipped with a reverse proxy function as an added option for Apache in contrast to Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on reverse proxy capabilities.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations



Because "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality and inaccurate comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic These labels can be confusing as both kinds of proxies handle requests and responses. The best way to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy is a useful tool when you're creating a solution for serving applications on the web via the internet. Reverse proxy servers represent your website when you connect to the internet.




Forward proxy can be useful when it is displayed before clients for personal use as well as in an official setting. They are a representation of your client's web traffic during any internet-based interaction.




The practice of separating by use case instead of focussing on similar naming conventions will assist you in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



This article explains the meaning of a proxy that has two types being the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical application scenarios and an exploration of beneficial attributes were used to identify forward proxies as well as reverse proxies. If you're interested in exploring the implementation of proxies then you should follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy for Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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