It is an proxy is often referred to as proxy server software which acts as an intermediary between a server and a client on the internet. Without the proxy, a client could send a request to a request directly to the server and the server would then deliver the resource directly back to the client. This is not difficult to comprehend and implement the addition of proxy servers could provide advantages in the form of increased security, performance, privacy as well as other benefits. As a further layer of pass-through, proxies act as a security layer for the internet between clients and servers.




In general the case of server hardware with proxy software is also often called proxy servers. This article we will examine proxies that are typically thought to be software, specifically, in relation to servers on the internet. There will be a discussion of the two main types of proxies: which are the forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each has its own usage case, but they're often misunderstood because of a similar name convention.




This article will give you an understanding of what proxy services and their subtypes are, and their use for common setups. In this article, you'll understand how to recognize the situations that you can gain from a proxy and then pick the best choice between forward and reverse proxy in each situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy also called open proxy, also known as open proxy is an agent for users who are trying to send a request via the internet to a source server. In this case any attempts to send requests from the client will instead be directed to the forward proxy. In this situation, an agent acting on behalf of the forward proxy in the in the place of the customer will review the request. First, it will determine whether the client is allowed to send requests through this particular forward proxy. The forward proxy will then deny any request or forward it to the server that made the request. The client does not have a access to internet in any way, it is only able to access the information the forward proxy grants the client access.




The most common reason to use forward proxy is the need to increase privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy makes use of web services as clients and as such, it uses an alternative IP address in addition to the IP address of your client.




Depending on how they were set up in the past forward proxy servers could provide a variety of features that allow you to:




Beware of ad-tracker.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies are also utilized in systems to provide central security as well as permission-based access, such as in a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic flows by an open forward proxy system, admins may allow only specific clients access to the internet through a common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls for the client layer which may comprise a variety of machines with different settings or users could be added to the proxy layer that forwards.




Remember the forward proxy configurations must be manually setup prior to their use in order to be used in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxy settings can't be noticed by the user. The kind of IP address a user is relayed to the server that it came from through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity can be granted, or left in the dark.




There are many possibilities to investigate for forward proxy options:




Apache The Apache is a popular open-source server with forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another well-known open source server for hosting websites with the ability to forward-proxy.


Squid is an open-source forward proxy that makes use of the HTTP protocol. It's not a complete Web Server System. It is possible to refer to our guide on how you can create Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy which runs using the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP this makes it better suited for scenarios such as peer-to-peer traffic. You can also look into how to set up a Dante proxy that allows private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves in the role of an intermediary the web server and it takes responsibility for incoming requests from customers for the benefit of. This web server may serve as a one server or multiple servers. It could also be an application-server, such as Gunicorn. In either case the request will be made by a client via the internet as a whole. Typically, the request will be sent directly to the webserver that has all the information the user is seeks. A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, shielding the webserver from direct communication with the internet.




From a perspective of the client's view of the user, using reverse proxy isn't different from communicating with the server by itself. It's functionally similar, but the user cannot tell the difference. Client requests a resource and gets it, without extra configuration needed from the client.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The web server is protected centrally.


The routing of traffic inbound is by rules that you configure.


The caching functionality was added to the application.




Although centralized security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy systems, reverse proxy providers this feature to this web server layer, not the layer that clients use. Instead of having firewalls on Web server layers that may contain multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, removing of the responsibility of interacting with firewalls as well as interfacing with clients' requests that are not on web servers permits the firewall to focus on supplying the necessary resources.




If there are several servers operating in a reverse proxy The reverse proxy handles the method by which requests are routed to which server. A number of web servers could be running on the same server, each offering different kinds of resource or a mixture of both. These servers utilize the HTTP protocol just like a standard web server, but they may also include applications server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to configure a reverse proxy to route users to particular servers based on the kind of resource they're seeking or to adhere to specific guidelines for the amount of traffic.




Reverse proxies may benefit from their position above web servers through the capability of caching. Large static assets can be configured with caching rules in order to avoid the web server from being hit with every request. Some options allowing users to directly serve static files without having to connect with the server at all. In addition the reverse proxy is able to manage compressing these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server is also a popular reverse proxy solution. While it's true that the Apache webserver is also equipped with a reverse proxy features but it's a feature available only for Apache but Nginx was originally designed for and is focused on reverse proxy functions.



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



Because "forward" in addition to "reverse" have connotations of directionality, and false analogies to "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic, these labels can confuse since both types of proxy handle responses and requests. The best method to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the requirements of the app that you're developing.




Reverse proxy is an effective tool to use when designing a solution to deliver web-based applications over the internet. They represent your web servers when you connect to the internet.




Forward proxy is useful for displaying clients for personal use, or in a work environment. They represent the client's information whenever you interact on the internet.




Separating by use case instead of focussing on similar name conventions will ensure you won't be confused.



Conclusion



This article will explain the definition of a proxy with the two main types, namely the reverse proxy and the forward proxy. Examples of how to use them and a discussion of most beneficial features were used to establish the distinction the distinction between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in exploring the possibilities of proxy servers, then you should read our guide on how to set up Nginx as a reverse proxy for Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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