A proxy, also known as a proxy is also referred to as a proxy server, is software that acts as an intermediary between client and server on the internet. Without the proxy, a customer could send a request for every resource straight to server and servers would provide direct to users who requested the resource. This is a simple method to comprehend and use the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages like increased performance, privacy and security, etc. In addition to providing a layer of pass-through proxy servers act as a security guard for the internet between servers and clients.




The general consensus is that the server hardware coupled with installed proxy software is often known as proxy servers. But, this article will focus on proxies traditionally defined as software, and specifically in relation with web server. This article will provide a brief overview of the two primary types of proxies that are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each kind has a distinct use, which could be confusing due to the identical namestamp.




This article will give you an idea of different types of proxy and subtypes are, as well as their importance for the most common setups. By reading this article you'll be able understand the situations when you could benefit from a proxy and determine the best choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy for any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also known as the open proxy is a proxy for users who wish to make a request over the internet to a source server. In this case every request sent by the user will be handled by an forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in instead of the user will review the request. It first decides if the client is allowed to accept requests via this particular forward proxy. Then, it can either reject any request, or redirect it to the server from which it originated. The client will not be able to have direct access to the internet; it can only be allowed access to the information that the forward proxy gives its access.




The most common reasons for forward proxy is to provide greater security or privacy on the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet instead of a specific client and during that process it could use an alternative IP address in comparison to the IP address of the client.




Depending on how it's configured, based on the way it's set up forward proxy can provide a range of features and allow you to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


Determine restrictions based on geolocation.




Forward proxies are also used in systems that provide central security as well as permission-based access, such as at a workplace. If all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy layer administrators are able to permit only certain users access to the internet. This is filtered by an common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place for the client layer that could include multiple machines with different user configurations, firewalls can be placed at the proxy layer that is in front.




Be aware that forward proxies should be set up manually for use while reverse proxies could be ignored by the client. According to the type of IP address of the client's connection to the server which originated it via the forward proxy privacy and security can be made more transparent.




There are many possibilities to consider for forward proxy:




Apache is a well-known open source web server which provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another well-known open-source webserver, which comes with forward proxy functionality.


Squid is an open source forward proxy that makes use of an HTTP protocol. The option does not include the whole web server. It is possible to refer to our article about how for installing Squid proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is an forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP this makes it more suitable for scenarios such as peer-to-peer connections. You can also check out how to setup a Dante proxy to allow connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy is a web server that handles the requests of customers on its behalf. The server could function as a one server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it can comprise an application server, like Gunicorn. In all of these scenarios, a request would come through the internet at large. In the majority of cases the request is made directly to the server with all the resources the client requires. Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, separating your web server from communication with the web's public.




From a consumer's point of the client's point of reverse proxy use isn't different from connecting directly to an internet server. It's functionally identical, however the client can't discern the distinction. The client asks for the resource, and it receives it, with no additional configuration required on the part of the client.




Reverse proxies provide various features, including:




A central layer of security to protect the server.


The direction of traffic that is based on rules that you set up.


A new feature for caching is now available.




Central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy solutions, reverse proxies provide this feature to the server layer, only the layer that clients use. Instead of focusing on the maintenance of firewalls at the server layer which could include multiple servers and different configurations, the majority of firewall security can be concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, taking the burden of communicating with firewalls and interacting with requests from clients outside of web servers lets them focus on only the requirements of their customers.




In the event of multiple servers being hosted through reverse proxy the reverse proxy is responsible for routing requests towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers providing the exact same service, providing different types of resources or a mixture of both. They may utilize an HTTP protocol as a normal web server, however they may also include applications server protocols like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy that routes clients to particular servers based on the request for service, or observe specific rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position prior to web servers by providing caching capabilities. Large static files can be set by caching rules to avoid reaching web servers each time a request is made. There are solutions that offer the option of serving static content without needing to interact with the webserver in any way. Additionally, reverse proxy can help compress these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server is a well-known reverse proxy choice. Although the Apache web server is able to use reverse proxy capabilities, it is an added feature for Apache but Nginx was designed originally to and is focused on reverse proxy functionality.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Examples



Since "forward" as well as "reverse" are both associated with the perception of directionality, they can lead to inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic and can confuse because both types of proxies handle requests and respond. The best way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy servers would be to study the needs of the application you're building.




Reverse proxy is a crucial aspect in the design of a system to support websites on the internet. They act as your servers when you interact with the Internet.




Forward proxy can be useful for displaying customers for your own use, or for use in a working environment. The forward proxy is a representation of the information of the customer every time you interact with them on the internet.




A distinction based on use cases instead of focusing on naming conventions that are similar will help avoid confusion.



Conclusion



This article clarified the definition of a proxy, with two kinds of proxy being the reverse and forward proxy. Practical applications and an examination of beneficial attributes were used to determine forward proxies as well as reverse proxy. If you're interested in exploring the use of proxy servers, you can follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as web service and reverse proxy in Apache in the Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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