The term "proxy" refers to a proxy, also called a proxy server software serves to act as a mediator between server and client over the internet. With no proxy in place, a user could submit a request for an online source directly through a server and the server could serve the resource directly back at the requester's. Although this method is easy to comprehend and implement, adding proxies offers benefits like improved performance, privacy, security, and much more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy functions as a gatekeeper of the internet between clients and servers.




Generally speaking, the combination of server hardware with proxy software is usually called proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxies that are traditionally classified as software specifically in relation to web servers. This article will give a detailed breakdown of two types: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type of proxy has its own scenario, and is frequently not understood due to the similar terms.




This article will give you details about what proxy services and subtypes, as well as how they function in various configurations. Through this article, you'll be able to identify the instances where the use of proxies is beneficial, and choose the most appropriate solution between reverse and forward proxy in any given scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy sometimes called the open proxy serves as a representative for a user who wishes to make an internet-based request to the server that originated it. In this scenario the entire effort to send requests made by the user will be sent through the forward proxy. A forward proxy, acting as a substitute for the client will check at the request. Then, it determines whether this client has the right to transmit requests using this specific forward proxy. It then decides whether to refuse any request or to forward it to the source server. The client has no direct access directly to internet. It is able to access only what the forward proxy allows it access to.




A common use of forward proxy is to provide greater privacy and security when surfing the internet. Forward proxy can access the internet in place of a client and in this way it can utilize a different IP address than the original IP address of the client.




Depending on how it's been configured, based on the way it's set up, forward proxy may offer you a variety of features based the way it's configured it, allowing you to:




Don't be a victim of ad-tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


Be aware of restrictions based on the geographical location.




Forward proxies can also be used for security systems that are centralised and also for access based on permissions for instance, such as at work. If all traffic on the internet passes through an open forward proxy, the administrator can grant only a few clients connection to internet through the firewall. Instead of setting up firewalls on the server layer, that could include a variety of machines that have different environments and types of users. A firewall may be positioned on top of this front proxy level.




It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxy servers must be manually set up for use while reverse proxies will be hidden from the user. Depending on the type the IP address that the user who is transferred to the server from which it originated through the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity may be granted or not.




There are numerous possibilities to think about when it comes to forward proxies.




Apache A well-known open source web server that provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another widely-used open-source web server with capability to use forward proxy.


Squid is a free forward proxy using an HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide the complete web server. We have an article about the best method to build a Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is an forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it more suitable for applications such as peer-to -peer traffic. You can also check out how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy is a representative of a web server that handles incoming requests from clients on its behalf. Web servers can comprise one or more servers. It could also be an application-server, such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request will originate from the web at large. In most cases, requests will then be made directly to the web server along with the resources the user is seeking. Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, separating the webserver from direct interaction with the open internet.




From the point of view of the user, the experience of using reverse proxy isn't different than communicating with an internet server direct. It's functionally the same however the user is unable to see the distinction. The client requests the resource, and is then provided with it, with no extra configuration required from the client.




Reverse proxies can provide features such as:




Centralized security to web server.


Directing incoming traffic based on rules you set.


New caching functionality has been added.




While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxy providers provide this benefit only to that layer on the webserver, not those who are on the client side. instead of the maintenance of firewalls on the layer of web servers, which might contain many servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interacting with a firewall and communicating with requests from clients through web servers allows them to focus solely on the requirements of their clients.




In the case of multiple servers running reverse-proxies, the reverse proxy also handles the direction that requests are directed to which servers. Multiple web servers may be operating within the same system, each providing different kinds of resources, or a combination of both. They can utilize the HTTP protocol as a traditional web server, however they may also be able to be equipped with application server protocols such as FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy to direct users to a specific server according to the service required, or to specific rules pertaining to the traffic load.




Reverse proxies also gain by being placed over web servers by providing the ability to cache. The large static resources can be created by using caching rules in order to avoid needing to connect with web servers for each request. Some solutions allowing you to directly serve static files without having to communicate with the webserver at all. Additionally reverse proxy solutions are able to handle the compression of these files.




The well-known Nginx web server functions as a highly regarded reverse proxy solution. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy solution, the Apache web server does have reverse proxy features however, it's an additional feature that is available to Apache in contrast to Nginx was initially designed for and is focused on the reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use The Case



Because "forward" and "reverse" are ascribed to an impression of directionality and misleading comparisons with "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing as both types of proxy services handle requests and responses. The best method to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to consider the needs of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy can be useful when you are developing a solution that can provide web-based applications over the internet. They serve as your web servers for any interaction you make on the web.




Forward proxy is helpful when placed in front of users for personal use, or even in an office setting. They are a representation of the traffic of your client whenever you interact on the internet.




Separating by use case, instead of focusing solely on common naming conventions can ensure that you don't get confused.



Conclusion



This article will explain the significance of a proxy, focusing on the two major kinds, namely forward proxy and reverse proxy. Examples of practical use and a look at useful features were used to differentiate forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're keen to learn more about the possibilities of proxies, you should read our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy in Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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