"proxy" is a term used to describe a server "proxy" is a reference to proxy servers. A proxy or proxy server is software that acts in the middle between server and client via the internet. Without the proxy, a client would send a request for any resource straight to the server and it would then serve the requested resource directly back to the user. This is not difficult to understand and implement, adding proxies provides advantages through improved security, performance, privacy as well as many other benefits. As a pass-through layer, proxies are a way to secure the internet between servers and clients.

The general combination of server hardware and the software that is installed to make proxy connections is often called proxy servers. But, this article will focus on proxy servers which are typically described in terms of software and the ones used to complement web servers. This article will give a description of the two main types, namely forward proxy and reverse proxy. forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own specific usage that can cause confusion due to the overlapping terminology.

This article will provide an idea of the nature of proxies and their subtypes and also their importance in typical setups. If you read this article, you will be able recognize situations where an effective proxy is beneficial, and determine the most appropriate option between forward proxy and reverse proxy, in any scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words forward proxy, also called or an open proxy is an agent of a user who is trying to make an online request to an origin server. In this situation every request made by the client is directed via an forward proxy. In this case the forward proxy, acting on behalf of the client, will look into the request. At the beginning, it will decide whether clients are authorized send requests via this particular forward proxy. Then, it can either reject requests or redirect them to their origin server. The client is not able to have direct access to the internet and has access only to what the forward proxy permits it to connect to.

The most popular reason to utilize forward proxies is more privacy or protection on the internet. A forward proxy connects to the internet for the individual client. And during this manner, it may utilize an IP address different from the IP address of the user.

Depending on how it's been configured the forward proxy may provide a variety of functions as well as the ability to:

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  Beware of Ad-trackers.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  You will be able to identify any limitations based on your location.
  
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Forward proxies can also be employed in systems to offer central security as well as permission-based access, for example at work. If all internet traffic flows through the common forward proxy layer, admins may restrict only a small number of users connection to internet, that is blocked by a common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls for this layer that could be used by multiple computers that have different configurations, environments the firewall can be added to the forward proxy layer.

Be aware that forward proxy servers have to be manually setup before they can be used while reverse proxy servers could be ignored by clients. Based on the fact that your IP address has been transferred to the server that is being used by the forward proxy privacy and anonymity can be granted or kept secret.

There are many options to take into consideration for forward proxies.

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  Apache The Apache is a well-known open source web server that provides forward proxy features.
  
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  Nginx: Another popular open-source web server that has forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid is an open-source forward proxy using an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer the complete web server system. You can check out our guide on the most efficient way to install Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante forward proxy that runs on the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP which makes it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer communication. You could also look into how to set up Dante proxy for secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy serves to act as an agent of a web server. It handles requests made by clients on its behalf. The web server could function as a one server or as a series of servers. Additionally, it can include an application servers, like Gunicorn. In any of these situations, a request could originate from a user on the internet. Typically, the request will be sent directly to the server on the internet that holds the data the user is seeking. Contrarily, a reverse proxy is a intermediary, isolating the web server from direct contact with the open internet.

From the perspective of the user, working via reverse proxy doesn't differ than interacting directly with an internet server. It's the same thing but the client doesn't see the difference. The client makes a request for a resource and then receives it, with no additional configuration needed by the client.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  Security centralized for web servers.
  
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  Incoming traffic is directed according to rules that you can establish.
  
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  Additional features for caching.
  
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While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxies, reverse proxies provide this benefit to the layer on the webserver and not to the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls at the server layer which may include multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, removing the responsibility of communicating with firewalls and communicating with requests from clients away from web servers allows firewalls to concentrate on providing the required resources.

In the event of multiple servers running in a reverse proxy the reverse proxy could be also in charge of directing which requests go towards which servers. Multiple web servers might be running within the same system, serving different kinds of services or a mixture of both. The servers employ the HTTP protocol to perform the role of a standard web server. However, they could also be equipped with application server protocols such as FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy that directs clients to specific servers in accordance with the requested resource or to comply with certain rules regarding the load of traffic.

Reverse proxies can also be able to take advantage of their location prior to web servers using caching capabilities. Massive static resources can be set up using caching rules to avoid hitting web servers every request, with some options that let you serve static content directly, without having to connect to the servers in any manner. Furthermore the reverse proxy can be capable of compressing these assets.

The well-known Nginx web server also functions as a powerful reverse proxy option. Although Apache is an alternative to reverse proxy however, it is not the only one. Apache webserver also includes reverse proxy capabilities, and is a different option to Apache and Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on reverse proxy capabilities.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations

Because "forward" and "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality and false comparisons to "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic the names could be confusing because both types of proxies are able to handle requests as well as responses. In addition, the most effective method to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to take into account the requirements of the application that you are developing.

Reverse proxy is helpful when you are developing an application that can serve websites on the internet. They serve as your web servers in any interactions through the Internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when it is used before customers for your personal use, or even in a business setting. They represent your clients in any interactions on the internet.

A case-based distinction instead of focusing solely on common naming conventions will help you in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

This article explains what is a "proxy" is, with two main types being the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical scenarios for use and an exploration of beneficial features were utilized to differentiate different types of proxy: forward and reverse. If you're interested in learning how to make proxies work, check out our guide on how to set up Nginx as reverse and web server proxy to Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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