It's an proxy or proxy server, is software that acts as a mediator between a client and server over the internet. Without a proxy, a user can send a request any resource directly to the server, and the server will serve the resource directly back at the request of the customer. While this approach is straightforward to grasp and implement, the addition of proxies could offer advantages in terms of enhanced performance, privacy, security, and many other benefits. As a layer of pass-through, a proxy is an extra layer of security on the internet between clients and servers.

The general consensus is that the mix of hardware for servers and the software for proxy installation is commonly referred to as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers that are typically classified as software, as well as within the context of web servers. The article will provide a detailed discussion of the two principal kinds of proxy servers, which include a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each has its own usage scenario that is frequently not understood due to the similar terms.

This article will provide you with an understanding of the types of proxies and what subtypes they are and how they function in the common configurations. After reading this article, it will be able to determine the circumstances in which you can benefit from a proxy and then select the most appropriate reverse and forward proxy options for any particular scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy, also known by the name of open proxy. open proxy serves as the representative of a user who would like to make a request through the internet to a source server. In this instance, the whole attempt to send requests by the user is instead sent to the forward-proxy. The forward proxy, acting on behalf of the client will review the request. The first step is to determine if the client is allowed to accept requests from this particular forward proxy. It then decides whether to decline a request and forward it to its original server. The client isn't capable of having direct access to the internet. It is only able to access what forward proxy allows it to connect to.

A common use of forward proxy is to achieve greater privacy or security when surfing the web. A forward proxy is able to connect to the internet instead of a client and as such it can make use of a different IP address than that of the client's initial IP address.

Depending on how it's been configured, the forward proxy will offer a variety of functions depending upon the way it has been configured that lets you:

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  Stay clear of tracking ads.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on the location you are in.
  
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Forward proxies are also used for security systems which are centralised and have permission-based access such as in the workplace. All internet traffic can pass via the open forward proxy, an administrator could permit just a few users connection to internet through a common firewall. Instead of setting up security firewalls on the server layer which may comprise a variety of computers with different settings and users. A firewall can be placed in the forward proxy layer.

It is vital to note that forward proxies need to be manually set up to use, however reverse proxy servers will be ignored by the clients. Depending on whether the IP address of a user is transmitted to the server that originated it from the forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted, or if it is left unnoticed.

There are numerous options to consider for forward proxy options:

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  Apache: A popular open-source web server that provides forward-looking proxy services.
  
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  Nginx is a popular open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy features.
  
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  Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It doesn't come with an entire Web server software. You can check out our instructions on setting up Squid proxy for private connections for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it better suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer connections. It's also worth taking a look investigate how to set up the Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is the web server which takes care of requests from clients on its behalf. Web servers can function as a single server, or a number of servers. It can also be used in the role of an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request is made by an internet-connected user. Typically, the request is directed directly to the web server which has the resources that the user needs. Instead, a reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, shielding it from direct contact with the internet's open.

From the point of view of the client, interacting with reverse proxy is not different from connecting to your website server direct. It's functionally the same and the user is unable to tell the distinction. Clients make requests for resources that is then followed by receiving it, without any additional configuration needed from the user.

Reverse proxies provide features like:

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  Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.
  
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  The sending of traffic in accordance with rules you define.
  
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  Additional functionality to cache data.
  
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While centralized security is a benefit for both reverse and forward proxy servers. Reverse proxies offer this benefit only to the web server layer, but not the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls in the server level, which could contain several servers that have different configurations, the majority of the firewall security can be handled by the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the hassle of dealing with firewalls and communicating with clients who request information from web servers lets them focus on serving the resources.

If there are multiple servers running in a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also determines how requests are routed the server. There could be multiple web servers that provide the same service, all offering various kinds of resources or a mix of the two. They can utilize the HTTP protocol for a traditional web server, however, they might also include protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy that routes customers to specific servers depending on the resource they request or to adhere to specific rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their placement on top of web servers by offering caching capabilities. The large static files can be created by using caching rules to stop from hitting web servers with every request. Certain solutions allowing you to provide static files directly, without connecting to the web server even once. In addition, the reverse proxy is able to handle compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx webserver is a very well-known reverse proxy solution. While Apache is also a reverse proxy service but it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server does have reverse proxy capabilities as an option that can be added to Apache while Nginx was initially designed and specifically focused on reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Use Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Utilization

Because "forward" along with "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can confuse since both kinds of proxy handle responses and requests. The best method to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy is to analyze the requirements of the app you're working on.

Reverse proxy is a crucial feature when you are designing a solution to host websites on the internet. They are your web servers in any interaction with the internet.

A forward proxy is useful when used in front of customers for your own use or in a working environment. They serve as the proxy for your client through any interaction with the internet.

Utilizing use cases to differentiate rather than focusing solely on common names will help avoid confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained the meaning of a proxy and the two primary types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical scenarios to use them and a review of the most effective features were employed to distinguish forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're looking to know more about the advantages of proxies, then you can read our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an reverse proxy and an internet server using Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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