proxy, also known as a proxy or proxy server, is a server software that sits acting as an intermediary between a client and server via the internet. Without an intermediary, a user would make a request to purchase an item straight to the server and servers would deliver the item directly to the client. Although this method is easy to comprehend and implement, proxies can provide benefits such as improved speed, privacy, security and more. As a pass-through layer proxy serves as a security barrier on the internet between clients and servers.




Generally speaking it is the bundled set of server hardware and proxy software is described as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers which are generally referred to as software, as well as those that are used in conjunction with web servers. This article will give a synopsis of the two primary kinds of proxy servers, which are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has its own unique application scenario, and it is often misunderstood because of the identical terms.




This article will provide you with an idea of the types of proxy services and what their subtypes are, as well in how they work in typical configurations. Through this article, you will be able to identify the situations in which you can benefit from proxy services and identify the most suitable choice between forward and reverse proxy in any given situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy also called an open proxy is an agent used by users who want to transmit a request over the internet to an the server that made it. In this scenario it is the case that all requests made by the user would prefer to be directed direct to the forward proxy. Forward proxy in the place of the client, will examine the request. At the beginning, it will decide whether this client can accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either reject requests or redirect it to the source server. The client doesn't have a direct access to the internet It can only access the information that forward proxy grants the client access.




The most common reason to use forward proxies is to gain greater privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy allows you to browse the internet in place of clients. In the process, it'll use an alternative IP address to the IP address that was originally used by the client.




Based on how it has been set up according to how it was set up forward proxy may provide you with a variety of features in addition to the capability to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine limitations based on your geographic place of residence.




Forward proxies can also be used in systems that offer central security as well as permission-based access, like in a workplace. If all internet traffic flows by an open forward proxy an administrator is able to restrict access to certain users to the internet. The web is then filtered by a typical firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place for the client layer, which may comprise several devices that are different in terms of user and environment A firewall can be placed at an forward proxy layer.




Be aware that forward proxies need to be manually setup before they can be used for use and reverse proxy servers are not able to be noticed by the user. Based on the fact that your IP address the user is passed to the server that originated it through the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept in the dark.




There are several alternatives to think about for forward proxies:




Apache A well-known, open-source web server with forward proxy functionality.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: An open-source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It's not an entire web-based server. Read our guide on how to configure Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP to allow it to be more suited to use scenarios such as peer-to -peer traffic. You may also want to examine how you can create a Dante proxy to allow private connections using Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy is an agent for the web server which takes care of incoming requests from clients on behalf. Web servers can represent a single or multiple servers. It could also represent an application servers such as Gunicorn. In all of these scenarios, an application request comes from a user on the internet in general. The majority of the time the request will go directly to the server hosting the information the user wants. However, a reverse proxy functions as an intermediary that helps to protect Web servers from direct interactions with the internet's open.




From the point of view of the user's view, working with reverse proxy is not any different from working with Web server in direct contact. It works identical to the web server and the client cannot tell the distinction. The client is able to request the resource and is then provided with it, without any additional configuration by the client.




Reverse proxy proxies provide certain features, such as:




Secured centrally to protect Web Server Layer.


The direction of traffic coming in based on rules you set.


Added functionality for caching.




Although centralized security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxies do this for only the layer of web servers not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at the layer of web servers that can include multiple servers that have different configurations The majority of the firewall security is aimed at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, the elimination of the obligation to interface with a firewall and connecting with requests from customers off of web servers enables them to focus solely on delivering the needs of their clients.




If there are more than one servers running through a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy can be also responsible for directing the requests that are directed to which server. There could be multiple web servers hosting identical resources, but each offering different types of resources or a combination of both. These servers may be running an HTTP protocol to serve as a standard web server, but they also include protocols used by applications like FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy servers to redirect visitors to specific server according to the type of resource they're looking for, or follow certain rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their position before web servers, by providing the ability to cache. Large static assets are able to be configured using caching rules that prevent them from the web server from being hit on every request. There are options that offer the option of providing static files directly without connecting directly to the website server. Furthermore, the reverse proxy is able to manage compression of these files.




The well-known Nginx webserver is also an extremely well-known reverse proxy choice. While Apache can also be regarded as a reverse proxy solution however, the Apache web server is also equipped with reverse proxy function, it is an additional feature that is part of Apache However, Nginx was designed originally for and primarily focused on the reverse proxy function.



The difference in Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Cases



Because "forward" and "reverse" are associated with directionality, they can also lead to misleading comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, they could be confusing since both types of proxy can manage requests and responses. In addition, the most effective method to differentiate between the forward and reverse proxies would be to look at the needs of the application you're building.




A reverse proxy could be useful when designing an approach to connect web applications to the internet. They function as servers when you interact using the internet.




Forward proxy are helpful when put in front of the user for personal use, or in a workplace setting. They act as your client's proxy when you use the internet.




Differentiating by case of use in lieu of looking at the same names will ensure that you do not get confused.



Conclusion



This article defined what a proxy is along with two types of proxy, namely the forward proxy as well as the reverse proxy. Practical applications and an examination of beneficial features were used to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy. If you're looking to learn more about the use of proxy servers, then you must go through our guide on how to set up Nginx as an internet service and reverse proxy in Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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