A proxy often referred to as a proxy server is software that acts as a mediator between a client and server on the internet. Without proxy servers, users will send a request for the item to an online server and the server would deliver the item directly to the user. Though this approach is simple to grasp and implement, the addition of proxies can offer advantages in terms enhanced performance security, privacy, and more. Alongside adding a layer of security, proxies act as a security guardian of the internet between servers and clients.

There is a general consensus that the set of server hardware and proxy software are also called proxy servers. However, this article will be focusing on proxies typically classified as software and within the web server context. We will provide a brief overview of the two main types of proxies, which include a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has its own use that can cause confusion because of a similar name convention.

This article will give you an understanding of nature of proxies and what their subtypes are, as well as how they work in the common configurations. Through in this post, you'll be able to identify the scenarios where it's beneficial to utilize a proxy and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy, in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words, a forward proxy sometimes known as an open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wants to send an internet request to an source server. In this case, every request made by the client is instead sent straight through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in the place of the client will review the request. First, it will decide if the client is authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it decides if it wants to reject an request and transfer it onto the server that originally received it. The client isn't able to directly access the internet. It can only access what forward proxy allows its access.

The most popular reason for using forward proxy services is to increase privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy is able to connect to the internet in instead of a client and as such, it may utilize a different IP address than the IP address originally utilized by the client.

Depending on how it's been set up in the past, forward proxy servers can give you a variety of options. They allow you to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  You will be able to identify any restrictions based upon your geographic area.
  
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Forward proxies are also used in systems that provide central security and permission-based access, such as at work. When all internet traffic passes through an open forward proxy,, administrators can limit access to those clients who are that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls for the client layer that may comprise a range of computers with different environments and users, the firewall could be placed within the forward proxy layer.

It is important to note that settings for forward proxy need to be manually configured for use in order to be used in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxies are able to be ignored by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of a client is passed to the original server via forward proxy privacy and anonymity can be granted or denied.

There are many options to take into consideration 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 functions.
  
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  Nginx: Another renowned open-source webserver with forward proxy features.
  
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  Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. Squid isn't a complete Web server service. Follow our step-by-step instructions to create Squid proxy to permit private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante forward proxy, which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it better suitable for situations like peer-to-topeer traffic. You can also look into the procedure for installing a Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as a proxy for web servers, which handles any requests that come in from clients. Web servers can comprise a server or multiple servers. Also, it could be a server for applications such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, an application request comes from a user via the internet in general. In most cases the request will be sent directly to the server that hosts the information the client is seeking. Reverse proxy, however, serves as an intermediary shielding Web servers from direct interaction with the web's public.

From a consumer's point of perspective, which is also from a user's perspective, working via a reverse proxy no any different from working with an internet server direct. It's exactly the same thing, however the client is unable to see the difference. The client makes a request for the resource, and is then provided with it, without any additional configuration needed on the part of the client.

Reverse proxies provide features such as:

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  Secured centrally to protect Web Server Layer.
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules you can create.
  
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  The caching functionality was added to the application.
  
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While central security is an advantage for both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this benefit only to the server layer, it is not available to the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls on the web server layer, which could contain multiple servers and various configurations, the bulk of firewall security can be targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, the elimination of the responsibility of interacting with a firewall and also interacting with requests from clients outside of web servers allows them to concentrate on providing the requirements of their customers.

If there are multiple servers hosted using a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy is also responsible to direct which requests are routed to the server. There may be several web servers that provide similar content or offering various types of resources or a mixture of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol similar to a standard web server however they could also include other protocols for applications servers, such as FastCGI. It is also possible to set up reverse proxy to redirect clients to specific servers in accordance with the requested resource or to adhere to specific rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also make use of their position prior to web servers by providing caching capabilities. Large static assets can be configured by using caching rules in order to avoid the web server from being hit with each request. There are solutions that permit you to serve static assets immediately without needing to connect to a web server even once. In addition reverse proxy solutions can handle compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx web server also functions as an extremely popular reverse proxy option. Even though Apache can also be a reverse proxy option however, Apache is a reverse proxy service. Apache web server is also equipped complete with the reverse proxy function, it is an additional feature of Apache whereas Nginx was designed initially to focus on the reverse proxy feature.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Examples

Since "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality, and false comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the labels can be confusing since both types of proxy are able to 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 building.

A reverse proxy could be useful when designing an application that runs web-based applications over the internet. They serve as your web servers when you interact on the internet.

Forward proxy can be beneficial when placed in front of customers for personal use or within a corporate environment. They represent your customers when you connect to the internet.

The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing on common naming conventions can aid in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

The article clarified the meaning of a proxy with the two kinds of proxy: the forward one and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the most beneficial features were used to distinguish between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about how to set up proxy servers, you can refer to our guide on how you can set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy with Apache in an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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