It is a proxy is sometimes referred to as an application for a proxy server that acts in the role of an intermediary the server and the client via the internet. Without a proxy, the client could send a request to a resource directly to a server, and the server will then send the resource directly back to the client. Although this is a simple process to grasp and implement however the addition of proxy servers could provide benefits in terms of increased security, performance, privacy, and so on. As an additional pass-through layer, proxies act as a defender to the internet between users and servers.

In general, the combination of server hardware and proxy software is often called a proxy server. The article we'll focus on proxies typically considered to be software, specifically with regard to servers on the internet. The article will provide a detailed discussion of two types of proxies: which are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each has its own specific usage situation, however they're often misunderstood because of a similar name convention.

This article will provide you with some understanding about what proxies as well as their subtypes are, and how they are useful for common setups. In this article, you'll understand how to discern the scenarios where you could benefit from a proxy, and pick the best choice between forward and reverse proxy, in each scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy sometimes referred to as open proxy, also known as open proxy is an agent for a user who is trying to send a request via the internet to a source server. In this case any attempts to send requests from the client will rather be directed to the forward proxy. In this case, an agent acting on behalf of the forward proxy in the in the place of the customer will look into the request. First, it will determine if the client is permitted to submit requests via this particular forward proxy. The forward proxy will then deny any request, or send it to the original server. The client is not able to establish a directly connected to the web. it can only access what the forward proxy permits it to access.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxy is to increase privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy makes use of an internet connection as a client and during this process it is using an alternative IP address in addition to your client's IP address.

Depending on how it's been set up in the past forward proxy servers may offer a range of features, allowing you to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on your geolocation.
  
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Forward proxies may also be utilized in systems to provide central security as well as permission-based access, like in workplaces. If all internet traffic flows via an open forward proxy, the administrators are able to allow only specific clients access to the internet through a common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls for the client layer which may comprise a variety of machines with different configurations as well as users, firewalls can be added to the forward proxy layer.

Remember the forward proxy configurations have to be set up manually before they can be used for use, while reverse proxy servers are not able to be noticed by the user. Based on the type of IP address a user is relayed to the server from which it originated through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity can be granted, or to go unnoticed.

There are many possibilities to investigate for forward proxies:

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  Apache The Apache is a well-known open-source web server that offers forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open source server for hosting websites with forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not the complete Web Server System. We recommend you to read our tutorial on how you can create Squid proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante forward proxy that runs the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP this makes it better to be used in situations like peer-to-peer traffic. You can also look into how to install the Dante proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary between the web server, and takes the care of requests coming in from customers for the benefit of. This web server may serve as a one server or a number of servers. It could also be an application-server such as Gunicorn. In either case the request will come from a customer via the internet generally. In most cases, the request will be sent directly to the web server which has all the information the user is seeks. A reverse proxy is a intermediary, shielding this webserver from direct communication with the internet.

From a perspective of the user's viewpoint from the perspective of a client reverse proxy use isn't different from communicating with the server in its own. It's basically the same however the client cannot tell the difference. Client requests a resource and gets it, without additional configuration by the client.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The server for the web is secure centrally.
  
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  Incoming traffic is directed based upon rules you can set up.
  
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  The caching feature was added to the application.
  
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While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy systems, reverse proxy providers apply offer this feature only to the layer of the internet server, and not the layer that clients use. instead of maintaining firewalls at Web server layers that could contain multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security can be concentrated at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, getting rid of the responsibility of interacting with firewalls and interacting with client requests outside of web servers permits the firewall to focus on providing resources.

If there are several servers that are operating as a reverse proxy and the reverse proxy determines how requests are routed through which server. Many web servers may be connected to this server providing different kinds of resources or a mix of the two. These servers utilize the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server, however they could also incorporate applications server protocols like FastCGI. You can configure reverse proxy to direct users to particular servers based on the kind of resource they are searching for or to adhere to certain guidelines regarding the load of traffic.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their positioning over web servers due to the power of caching. Massive static resources can be configured with caching rules to avoid hitting web servers with each request. There are a few options that allow users to directly serve static files without having to connect with the server in any way. Furthermore the reverse proxy is able to be able to compress these assets.

The popular Nginx web server is also a well-known reverse proxy solution. It is true that the Apache webserver also equipped with reverse proxy feature, it's an additional option that's available to Apache but Nginx was initially designed and is focused on reverse proxy features.

Differentiating Forward and reverse proxy Use Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Utilization

Because "forward" along with "reverse" are associated with a sense of directionality and misleading distinctions between "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can confuse since both types of proxy handle responses and requests. In addition, the most effective method of separating between forward and reverse proxy is to study the requirements of the application that you're working on.

Reverse proxy is an effective tool when you're creating a solution for serving applications on the web via the internet. They act as your web servers whenever you interact on the internet.

Forward proxy can be useful for displaying clients for personal use, or in a work environment. They represent the client's information every time you connect to the internet.

The practice of segregating by use case instead of focusing on the similar name conventions will ensure you won't be confused.

Conclusion

This article describes what a proxy is with the two main types which are the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of use and a discussion of the most useful features were used to establish the distinction the distinction between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about the possibilities of proxies you must read our guide on how to set up Nginx as reverse proxy to Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.