An proxy is also known as a proxy server is software that acts as a mediator between a client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a user can send a request for something directly through a server, and the server would then deliver the item directly to the client. Although this method is easy to understand and implement, the addition of proxy servers can provide advantages in terms of increased performance security, privacy, and more. Alongside providing a layer of security they also serve as a security guardian of the internet, separating clients from servers.

There is a general consensus that the server hardware and proxy software is also frequently known as proxy servers. But, this article will be focusing on the proxies that are typically categorized as software and within the web server context. We will provide a brief overview of the two primary types of proxies, which include a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use, which can be confusing because of a similar name convention.

This article will provide you with an idea of the what proxies are and what their subtypes are, as well as how they work in the common configurations. In this article, you'll be able to determine the situations in which it is beneficial to use a proxy and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy, in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In the same way forward proxy also referred to as open proxy. In other words, an open proxy acts as a representative of a user who would like to send an internet request to an origin server. In this situation, any request from the client's side will be sent directly through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in the instead of the user will examine the request. The first step is to decide if the client is authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then decide if it is authorized to reject an request and send it back to the original server. The client is unable to have direct access to the internet. It only has access to what forward proxy allows it access to.

The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet place of a client, and as such it could utilize an IP address that is different from the IP address originally used by the client.

Depending on how they've been previously configured, forward proxy servers can offer a wide range of options and allow you to:

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  Do not be a victim of ad tracking.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  You can determine limitations based on your geographic area.
  
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Forward proxies can also be used in systems that provide centralized security and permission based access, such as in a workplace. When all internet traffic passes via an open forward proxy layer, administrators can restrict access to only specific clients on the internet that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls in place for the client layer that could include a variety of machines that have different environments and users, the firewall could be placed within the forward proxy layer.

Be aware that forward proxy settings need to be configured manually to function, while reverse proxy settings can be not recognized by clients. Based on whether the IP address of a user is passed to the original server through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or not.

There are many possibilities to consider when it comes to forward proxy options:

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  Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server that has forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Nginx: Another renowned open-source webserver that has forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid: A free forward proxy that makes use of an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer an entire internet server. Follow our step-by-step instructions to install Squid proxy to allow private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante forward proxy which runs the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it better suited to situations such as peer-topeer traffic. You can also examine the steps to install an Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy serves as a representation of web servers that handle any requests that come in from clients. Web servers can comprise one or more servers. Also, it could be a server for applications such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, an application request comes by a user on the internet as a whole. In the majority of cases the request will be directly sent to the web server along with the information that the client wants. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary protecting Web servers from direct interactions with the public internet.

From a consumer's point perspective, which is also a user's viewpoint, interfacing using a reverse proxy is no any different from working with direct connections to an internet server. It's exactly the same however the user is unable to be able to discern the differences. The client asks for a resource and then receives it, without any additional configuration required on the part of the client.

Reverse proxies offer features like:

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  Secured centrally to protect Web Server Layer.
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you can set up.
  
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  The caching feature is now available to users.
  
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While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies provide this feature only to the server layer, and not the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running on Web server layers that can contain a variety of servers with different configurations, most of firewall security can be concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Also, the removal of the responsibility to interact with firewalls as well as dealing with client requests outside of web servers allows them to concentrate on providing the needs of their customers.

In the event that there's multiple servers being hosted with a reverse-proxy the reverse proxy is also responsible for directing what requests go at which server. There could be multiple web servers offering similar content offering different kinds of content or a mixture of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol in the same way as a standard web server but they can include different protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. You can also configure a reverse proxy to direct clients to specific servers based upon the requested resource or adhere to specific rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies can also make use of their location before web servers by delivering caching capabilities. Large static assets can be set up by using caching rules in order to avoid hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions even allowing you to serve static assets directly without having to connect to a web server even once. Additionally reverse proxy is able to control compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server also functions as a very popular reverse proxy option. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy solution but it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is also equipped with reverse proxy function that is an added attribute of Apache however Nginx was designed initially to and is focused on its reverse proxy feature.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Examples

Because "forward" or "reverse" are associated with directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic the labels could be confusing because both types of proxy handle responses and requests. A better approach to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to study the specifications of the application that you are building.

A reverse proxy could be useful when designing a solution to provide web-based applications on the internet. They act as your web server whenever you connect to the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when placed before clients for personal use or within a corporate environment. They represent your customers when you connect to the internet.

The use case-based differentiation instead of focusing on the standard naming conventions could help in eliminating confusion.

Conclusion

The article clarified the meaning of a proxy with the two kinds that are forward and reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the most beneficial features were used to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about how to implement proxies you can check out our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as a reverse and web server proxy using Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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