An proxy is also known as a proxy server is piece of software which acts as an intermediary for client and server over the internet. Without the proxy, a user will send a request to resources directly to the server and it would deliver the resource directly back towards the customer. While this is a simple method to grasp and implement however, adding proxy servers can bring advantages including improved speed as well as privacy, security and more. As an additional layer of pass-through the proxy functions as a guardian to the internet, separating clients from servers.

In general, the combination of server hardware coupled with installed proxy software is commonly described as a proxy server. This article will discuss the proxies that are usually considered to be software, and in the context of web servers. We will discuss of two kinds of proxies. One being forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the reverse. reverse proxy. Each kind has its own specific application, and is frequently confused because of the similar namesake convention.

This article will give you an idea of the different subtypes and proxies and their importance for the common setups. After reading the article carefully, you'll to recognize situations where the use of proxies is beneficial, and you can then select the most appropriate option between forward proxy and reverse proxy depending on the circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known by the name of an open proxy serves as the representative of a customer who wants to forward a request via the internet to the server that originated it. In this scenario any attempts to send requests made by the client will instead be directed directly to the forward proxy. Forward proxy in lieu of the client, will examine the request. First, it will verify if the client is authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request, or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client does not have direct access to the internet and can only access what the forward proxy allows it to connect to.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxies is the increased privacy or anonymity on the internet. Forward proxy's access to the internet as clients, and, in this manner, it could utilize an IP address that is different from the original IP address of the user.

Based on the way it's configured, forward proxy will give you a range of options as well as the ability 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 your location.
  
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Forward proxies also are employed in systems that offer centralized security as well as access based on permissions, such as in workplaces. When all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy and administrators are able to allow only specific clients to access the internet using a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls for the client layer, which can involve many machines with different settings, environment the firewall is put in an forward proxy layer.

It is important to remember the forward proxy configurations need to be set up manually to permit the forward proxy to function in order to use them and reverse proxy settings are not able to be detected by users. Based on an IP address belonging to a user is sent to the origin server via forward proxy, privacy and security can be granted or kept in the dark.

There are numerous options to consider for forward proxy options:

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  Apache A well-known open source web server that has forward proxy capabilities.
  
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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 is a free forward proxy that runs on it's HTTP protocol. It's not the full webserver system. We recommend our article on the best way to configure 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 like peer-to -peer traffic. It is also possible to 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 functions as an intermediary for a web server, and is able to handle requests from customers for the web server. The web server can serve as a single server, or as a series of servers. Additionally, it can serve as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any case the request for an application comes from a user via the internet. Typically, the request will be sent directly to the web server which hosts what the client is trying to find. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to isolate your web server from contact via the web's public.

From a consumer's point of the consumer's perspective, working with reverse proxy isn't any different than communicating with your webserver directly. It's basically the same but the client can't discern the distinction. The client requests an item and receives 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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  Directing traffic according to rules you set.
  
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  A new feature for caching has been added.
  
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While central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this only for only the server layer but not the client layer. instead of maintaining security firewalls in Web server layers, which could include multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk in firewall protection is aimed at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the burden of interacting with a firewall and interacting with clients' requests off of web servers lets them concentrate on providing resources.

If there are more than one servers existing with a reverse-proxy in place, the reverse proxy is also responsible for controlling which requests are routed to which server. There may be several web servers running within the server all serving different kinds of resources or a combination of the two. These servers may use the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server. They could also incorporate application server protocols like FastCGI. You can also configure reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers depending on the service being requested or to adhere to certain traffic load rules.

Reverse proxies are also able to take advantage of their placement on top of web servers through the capability of caching. Massive static resources can be configured using caching rules to prevent getting into web servers for every request. Some solutions even allowing the provision of static files in a direct manner without linking directly to the website server. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle the 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 is also available with a reverse proxy feature as an additional function which is accessible for Apache however Nginx was originally designed to and specifically designed for the reverse proxy function.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases

Because "forward" along with "reverse" are both associated with the notion of directionality and also misleading comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic These labels can be confusing, as both types of proxies can be used to manage requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy servers is to analyze the specifications of the software you are developing.

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

Forward proxy is a great tool to have working with clients in front for personal use or in a professional setting. They represent your client traffic when you are on the internet.

A distinction that is based on the use case instead of using the standard names can help in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

The article described what a proxy is along with two types being the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Examples of how to use them as well as a discussion of most effective features were utilized to distinguish forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're looking to learn how to implement proxies we suggest that you read our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy for Apache on and Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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