A proxy or proxy server, is a program acting as an intermediary a client and server via the internet. Without proxy servers, a user will send a request to resources directly to a server and it would deliver the resource directly back for the client. Although this method is easy to comprehend and implement, but the addition of proxy servers can offer benefits like increased speed and privacy, security and a host of other benefits. In addition to providing pass-through, the proxy serves as a security guardian of the internet, separating clients from servers.

The combination of server hardware and installed proxy software is often referred to as a proxy server. This article will discuss the proxies that are usually described as software and in the context of web servers. The article will provide a detailed discussion of two kinds of proxies. One being one that is a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application, and is frequently confused because of the similar namesake convention.

This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies and subtypes are in terms of their importance for the common setups. After reading the article carefully, you'll be able understand the situations when the use of proxies is beneficial, and you can then select the best option between forward proxy and reverse proxy depending on the circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known in the context of open proxy. An open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wishes to send an internet request to an the server that originated it. In this situation any attempts to send requests from the client will instead be sent through forward proxy. The forward proxy, instead of the client, will review the request. It will first determine if this client is allowed to receive requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request, or send it to the origin server. The client is not able to have direct connection to the internet It can only access what forward proxy permits it to access.

The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxies is increased privacy or anonymity on the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as clients, and in this way it may use an IP address different from the original IP of the client.

Depending on the way it's configured, forward proxy will give you a range of options in addition to the ability to:

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  Beware of ads-trackers.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on your area.
  
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Forward proxies are also used in systems that provide central security and access based on permissions, such as at work. If all internet traffic passes through a forward proxy, an administrator is able to allow only specific clients access to the internet via a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place for the client layer that could include multiple machines with varying settings and environments and users the firewall is installed in an forward proxy layer.

It is important to remember that forward proxy settings have to be set up manually to permit the forward proxy to function for use in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxy servers are unable to be noticed by the user. Based on an IP address belonging to a user is passed on to the origin server via the forward proxy, the privacy and security settings, it can be granted or left transparent.

There are a variety of options to think about when it comes to forward proxy choices:

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  Apache A well-known open source web server that has forward proxy features.
  
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  Nginx A renowned open-source server used for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid is a free forward proxy that uses it's HTTP protocol. It's not the complete Web Server System. It is possible to refer to our guide on the best method of configuring Squid proxy for 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 for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to a web server, and takes care of requests from clients for the web server. Web servers can function as a single server, or multiple servers. It could also function as an app server such as Gunicorn. In any event, an application request comes by a user on the internet at large. Typically, the request will be sent directly to the web server that hosts the information that the user is looking for. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary in order to block your web server from contact to the open internet.

From a consumer's point of view, interacting with reverse proxy isn't any different than interacting with Web server in direct contact. It's functionally identical, but the user isn't able to tell the difference. The client requests an item and gets it without any extra configuration required for the end 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 rules you set.
  
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  Added functionality for caching.
  
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While centralized security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxies provide this function only for only the server layer, but not to the client layer. instead of maintaining security firewalls in Web server layers that may comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is directed to the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the burden of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with requests from clients off web servers lets them focus on serving resources.

In the case of multiple servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also accountable for deciding which requests are directed to which server. There could be multiple web servers operating from the same host, each serving different kinds 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 applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy servers to direct the clients towards specific servers in accordance with the service they require, or to observe certain rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies also can take advantage of their placement on top of web servers through the capability of caching. Large static assets can be configured using caching rules to prevent hitting web servers with every request. Some solutions even allowing users to upload static files without having to connect to the web server in any way. In addition, the reverse proxy can handle compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx webserver is a well-known reverse proxy service. While it's not a reverse proxy, the Apache web server comes with a reverse proxy feature as an added feature which is accessible for Apache whereas Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on the reverse proxy feature.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations

Because "forward" in addition to "reverse" are both associated with an impression of directionality, and also false comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic. These labels can be confusing, since both types of proxy servers can respond to requests and responses. Another method of separating between reverse and forward proxy servers would be to look at the specifications of the software you're developing.

Reverse proxy is a useful tool when you are developing a solution to serve websites on the internet. They represent your web servers in any interaction with the Internet.

Forward proxy is a great tool to use when you are working with clients in front to use for personal purposes, or even in a business environment. They represent your client traffic when you are on the internet.

A distinction based on usage case instead of focusing on the common name conventions can aid you in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

The article described what a proxy is along with two types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of its use and a discussion of the most useful features were used to differentiate forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're looking to learn how to set up proxies, we suggest that you read our guide on how to configure Nginx as an reverse proxy and internet server for Apache running and Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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