The term "proxy" refers to a proxy can also be described as proxy server software which serves as a mediator between client and server over the internet. Without a middleman, a customer would make an inquiry directly to a server and the server will serve the resource directly back for the client. Although this procedure is easy to grasp and use using proxies, it can provide benefits including increased speed as well as security and privacy and a lot more. Apart from offering a security layer they also act as a guardian for the internet between clients and servers.

In general, the bundled package of server hardware that includes proxy software is commonly referred to by the name proxy servers. But, this article will be focusing on proxies traditionally defined as software, and also when referring to web servers. This article will give a synopsis of the two primary types: one is forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a different use, which could be confusing due to the similar name-based convention.

This article will equip you with the understanding of the types of proxy services available and their subtypes are, as well as the ways they can be useful for the most common setups. In this article, you'll aware of the situations that you can gain by a proxy, and select the right solution between forward and reverse proxy in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known by the name of an open proxy, acts as the representative of a customer who wishes to send requests through the internet to a server that initiated it. In this situation, it's the case that all requests from the client are instead forwarded straight through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in place that of the customer, is able to examine at the request. At first, it will determine if the client is allowed to submit requests through this particular forward proxy. Then, it can either reject requests or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client isn't capable of having direct access to the internet. it will only be capable of accessing the data that forward-proxy permits the client to access.

A popular use for forward proxy is the desire for more privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy can access the internet as a client, and in this way, it is using an additional IP address as opposed to your client's IP address.

Depending on how it's been set up, and the configuration forward proxy can perform a variety of tasks in addition to the ability to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  You can determine restrictions based upon your geolocation.
  
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Forward proxies can also be utilized in systems of central security and access that is dependent on permissions, such as, in a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic is routed through an open forward proxy, an administrator could restrict access to certain users on the internet using an common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls for the client layer, which can comprise multiple computers that have different configurations and user, a firewall can be placed at the forward proxy layer.

Be aware that forward proxies must be configured manually to utilize, whereas reverse proxies can be ignored by the client. Based on the type of IP address the client that is transferred to the origin server through forward proxy privacy and anonymity might be granted or not.

There are numerous possibilities to look into for forward proxies:

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  Apache is a well-known open-source web server that offers forward proxy features.
  
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  Nginx is another well-known open-source web server with forward proxy capability.
  
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  Squid: An Open Source Forward Proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete Web server software. You can refer to our instructions for setting up Squid proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol in place of HTTP and is better suited for certain scenarios such as with peer-to-peer traffic. You could also find out how to configure Dante proxy to permit private connections with Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy serves in the capacity of an agent to a web server and handles any requests that come in from clients in its place. The web server can serve as a one server or a number of servers. Furthermore, it could be used as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations, a request would come from a user who is on the internet generally. In most cases the request will be directed directly to a webserver that has all the resources the client seeking. In contrast, a reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, protecting this webserver from direct interaction with the internet.

From the perspective of an individual or user's perspective, the process of using reverse proxy isn't any different from working with the website server in direct contact. It's basically the same, but the client can't tell the distinction. The client makes an request for a resource, which is followed by receiving it with no further configuration needed on the part of the client.

Reverse proxy proxies can provide some features, including:

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  Security centralized for web servers.
  
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  Directing incoming traffic according to rules can be create.
  
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  The caching functionality has been added to the app.
  
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While central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy service, reverse proxies give this benefit to Web layer servers and not to the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls on Web server layers that could include multiple servers with different configurations, most of firewall security is focused on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the necessity of interfacing with firewalls and responding to requests from clients off of web servers enables them to concentrate on delivering resources.

If there are multiple servers operating through a reverse proxy, it also controls the way requests are routed to the correct server. A number of web servers could be providing the exact identical service, but each one serving various kinds of resources or a combination of both. These servers could use an HTTP protocol to function as a standard web server, but can also include applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy servers to direct customers to a specific server according to the resource being requested, or to observe specific rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies also can benefit from their positioning in front of web servers due to the power of caching. Large static assets can be configured by caching rules so that they avoid having to contact web servers every time they need to make a request. There are solutions that provide the option to directly serve static assets without having to connect to the web server in any way. Furthermore, reverse proxy can be used to handle compressing the assets.

The well-known Nginx web server can be described as a reliable reverse proxy option. You can also use the Apache web server also has reverse proxy capabilities as an additional function of Apache in contrast to Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on reverse proxy functionality.

The difference between Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use. Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Use

Since "forward" and "reverse" are associated with directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic the labels could be confusing since both types of proxies can handle requests as well as respond. Instead, a better way to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy providers is to consider the needs of the application you're developing.

A reverse proxy is a good option in the development of an application that can serve web-based applications via the internet. They are your web servers in any interactions with the internet.

Forward proxy applications are beneficial when they are used to block client traffic for your personal use or in a workplace setting. They can be used to represent your client's traffic for any interaction on the internet.

Utilizing case-based differentiation instead of focusing on similar naming conventions will make it easier to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

The article clarified definition of a proxy, with the two main kinds of them being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications as well as a look at positive characteristics were utilized in defining forward proxy and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about the implementation of proxy servers take a look at our tutorial on how to configure Nginx to act as an Internet server, and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.