An proxy, also called a proxy server, is a program which acts as an intermediary for client and server via the internet. Without the proxy, a user would send a request for resources directly to a server, and it would then serve the resource directly to the user. Although this method is easy to understand and implement, however, the addition of proxy servers can bring advantages like increased performance as well as privacy, security and more. As an additional layer of pass-through, the proxy serves as a guardian to the internet between servers and clients.

In general, the combination of server hardware and installed proxy software is frequently described as a proxy server. This article will discuss the proxies that are usually considered to be software, as well as in relation to web servers. The article will provide a detailed discussion of the two major types of proxies, one being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application and can be confusing due to the resemblance of namesake convention.

This article will give you an understanding of different subtypes and proxies in terms of their importance for the common setups. After reading this article, you'll be able to recognize situations where the use of proxy servers is advantageous, and then choose the best option between forward proxy and reverse proxy, based on the circumstances.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known by the name of the open proxy is the agent of a user who would like to forward a request via the internet to an the server which originated it. In this case, all attempts to make requests through the client will instead be sent to forward proxy. Forward proxy in place of the client, will review the request. First, it will find out if the client is authorized to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request, or send it to the server that originated it. The client doesn't have a an internet connection directly; it can only reach what forward proxy permits it to access.

The primary reason for people for using forward proxy servers is the increased privacy or anonymity on the internet. Forward proxy's access to the internet as clients and in this way it may utilize an IP address distinct from the original IP address of the user.

Based on the way it's configured, forward proxy will grant a number of features and the capability to:

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  Beware of Ad-trackers.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions that are based on the location you are in.
  
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Forward proxies also are employed in systems that offer centralized security as well as permission-based access, like in workplaces. When all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy Administrators are in a position to grant only specific clients access to the internet via a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls for the client layer that can involve many machines that have different settings and environment A firewall could be installed in an forward proxy layer.

It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxy settings must be set up manually to permit them to be used for use, while reverse proxy settings are not able to be detected by users. Based on whether or not the IP address of the user is passed on to the server that originated it via forward proxy privacy and security settings, it can be granted or kept in the dark.

There are numerous options to think about when it comes to forward proxy options:

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  Apache A well-known open source web server with forward proxy features.
  
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  Nginx Another well-known open-source server used for web hosting that has forward proxy functions.
  
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  Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. It's not the full web server system. We recommend our guide on the best method to set up Squid proxy to handle private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it more suited to cases such as peer-to-peer communication. You can also learn how to configure Dante proxy to allow connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to web servers, and takes care of requests from clients for the web server. The web server can serve as a single server, or as a series of servers. It could also be an application server, such as Gunicorn. In all cases, an application request comes from a user via the internet in general. Typically, the request will go directly to the web server that hosts the content that the client is trying to find. The reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to isolate your website server from communication to the open internet.

From a consumer's point of view, interacting with reverse proxy isn't any different than connecting to the web server directly. It's functionally similar, however the client isn't able to tell the difference. Client requests an item and is given it, with no additional configuration needed from the user.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The server for the web is secure centrally.
  
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  Sending traffic to be directed according to the rules you establish.
  
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  A new feature for caching has been added.
  
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While centralized security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxies do this only for just the Web server layer, but not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls for Web server layers which may contain multiple servers with various configurations, the bulk protection of the firewall is aimed towards the reverse proxy layer. In addition, taking the burden of interfacing with firewalls and responding to clients' requests off of web servers lets them concentrate on serving the resources.

If there are multiple servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also responsible for controlling which requests go at the server. There may be several web servers that are running within the server each offering different types of resources or a mix of the two. They could be using the HTTP protocol similar to a conventional web server. They can also include application server protocols like FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers based on the service requested or to adhere to certain traffic load rules.

Reverse proxies can also take advantage of their placement over web servers with the help of caching. Massive static resources can be configured with caching rules to avoid the web server from being hit with each request, with some solutions even allowing the provision of static files directly without connecting directly to the website server. Additionally, reverse proxy can manage the compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx web server is a wildly popular reverse proxy service. However, the Apache web server comes with a reverse proxy feature as an additional feature that is available to Apache while Nginx was designed initially for and specifically focused on reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases

Since "forward" along with "reverse" are both associated with the notion of directionality and also misleading comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic. These labels can be confusing, as both types of proxies can be used to manage requests and responses. A different method of distinguishing between reverse and forward proxy servers is to analyze the specifications of the software you're creating.

Reverse proxy is a useful tool when you're designing a solution to host websites on the internet. They act as your servers in any interaction with the Internet.

Forward proxy is a great tool to use when you are facing clients to use for personal purposes or even in a business environment. They are a representation of your traffic when you interact with the internet.

A distinction that is based on the use cases instead of looking at the common name conventions can aid you in getting rid of confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained what a proxy is along with two types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Examples of how to use them and a discussion of most effective features were utilized to differentiate forward proxies from reverse. If you'd like to explore the ways to use proxies, we recommend you read our guide on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy for Apache using the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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