The term "proxy" refers to a proxy is also known as a proxy server is program acting as an intermediary client and server via the internet. Without a proxy, a client would send a request for resources directly to a server and it would serve the resource directly back to the user. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement however, the addition of proxy servers can offer benefits including improved efficiency, privacy, security, and many more. As an additional layer of passing through, the proxy acts as a guardian to the internet, separating clients from servers.




The combined system of server hardware that is paired with installed proxy software is also often called proxy servers. This article will discuss proxy servers that are typically described as software as well as in relation to web servers. The article will provide a detailed discussion of the two major kinds of proxies. One being one that is a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application, and is frequently confused because of the similar namesake convention.




This article will give you an idea of the what proxies and subtypes are in terms of their importance for the common setups. If you've read the article carefully, you'll be able understand the situations when the use of proxy servers is advantageous and choose the best option between forward proxy and reverse proxy based on the situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also referred to by the name of the open proxy acts as the representative of a user who would like to forward a request via the internet to the server which originated it. In this situation, all attempts to make requests through the client's end will instead be sent through forward proxy. Forward proxy in place of the client, will look into the request. The first step is to verify if the client is allowed to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then deny any request, or send it to the origin server. The client does not have an internet connection directly It can only access what forward proxy permits it to access.




The most common reason for using forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or security online. Forward proxy's access to the internet as clients, and, in this manner it may utilize an IP address distinct from the original IP of the client.




Based on the way it's set up, the forward proxy can provide a variety of functions and the capability to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions based on the location you are in.




Forward proxies can also be used in systems that provide centralized security as well as access to users based on permissions, for instance in a workplace. If all internet traffic passes through a common forward proxy and administrators are capable of allowing only certain clients to access the internet through a single firewall. Instead of putting firewalls installed for the client layer that may include multiple computers with varying settings and users and environments A firewall could be put in an forward proxy layer.




It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxy settings must be set up manually to permit them to be used for use, while reverse proxy servers are unable to be detected by the user. Based on whether or not your IP address a user is transmitted to the server from which it originated via the forward proxy, the privacy and security can be granted or left transparent.




There are many options to consider for forward proxy choices:




Apache An open source well-known web server that has forward proxy features.


Nginx A renowned open-source web hosting server that has forward proxy functions.


Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that uses it's HTTP protocol. It's not the entire Web Server System. We recommend our article on the best method of configuring Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, making it better suited to scenarios like 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



Reverse proxy functions as an intermediary between a web server, and takes care of requests from clients on behalf of. Web servers can function as a one server or a number of servers. Additionally, it can serve as an application server, such as Gunicorn. In all cases, the request for an application comes from a user via the internet. The request will typically directly go to the web server that hosts the content that the client is trying to find. The reverse proxy serves as a middleman to protect your website server from communication to the open internet.




From a consumer's point the consumer's perspective, working with reverse proxy isn't different from connecting to your webserver directly. It's basically similar, however the client isn't able to tell the difference. The client requests an item and receives it, without any extra configuration required for the end user.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The web server is secured centrally.


Directing traffic according to the rules you establish.


The caching functionality was added to the application.




While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this function only for the web server layer, but not the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls on Web server layers that may comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority protection of the firewall is directed at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, taking the responsibility of connecting to a firewall and interacting with clients' requests off of web servers lets them concentrate on serving the resources.




If there are more than one servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy is also accountable for deciding which requests are directed to which server. There could be multiple web servers operating from the same host, all serving different types of resources or a combination of both. These servers may use the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server. They could also incorporate protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy servers to direct the clients towards specific servers in accordance with the service requested or to adhere to certain rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies also can benefit from their position over web servers with the help of caching. The large static files can be configured using caching rules to prevent getting into web servers for every request, with some options even allowing the provision of static files directly without connecting directly to the website server. Additionally, reverse proxy is able to handle the compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server is an extremely popular reverse proxy option. However, it's not a reverse proxy, the Apache web server also comes with a reverse proxy function as an additional feature that is available for Apache however Nginx was initially designed for and specifically focused on the reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations



Since "forward" in addition to "reverse" are both associated with the notion of directionality as well as inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic. These terms can be confusing because both types of proxies are able to handle requests as well as responses. A different method of distinguishing between reverse and forward proxy servers would be to analyze the specifications of the software you're developing.




Reverse proxy can be a valuable tool when you are creating a solution for serving websites on the internet. They represent your web servers when you interact with the Internet.




Forward proxy is a great tool to use when you are working with clients in front for personal use, or even in a business environment. They represent your client traffic whenever you connect to the internet.




A distinction based on use cases instead of focusing on the common names can help in getting rid of confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified what a proxy was and the two kinds of proxy being the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical examples of use and a discussion of the most useful features were used to differentiate forward proxies from reverse. If you're interested in learning how to set up proxies, we recommend you read our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy using Apache using the Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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