It's an proxy or proxy server. It is an application that functions in the role of an intermediary server and a client over the internet. Without the proxy, a user could send a request to the server directly and the server would then provide the requested resource directly to the user. While this approach is straightforward to comprehend and implement using proxies, it can offer advantages in terms of greater performance, privacy, security, and many more. As an additional pass-through layer proxy acts as an extra security layer on the internet between servers and clients.




It is generally accepted that the set of server hardware along with installed proxy software is often called proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers that are typically described as software, and when referring to web servers. This article will present a detailed breakdown of the two main types: a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own usage situation, however they're often confused because of the identical namesake convention.




This article will give you details about the types of proxies and what subtypes they are, and how they work in common configurations. In this article, you'll be able identify circumstances in which you may make use of a proxy and select the right solution between reverse proxy and forward proxy for every situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy, also referred to as the open proxy is an intermediary for a customer who wants to make a request via the internet to a source server. In this situation, it's the scenario that all requests made by the user would prefer to be sent through the forward proxy. A forward proxy, acting in on behalf of the user will scrutinize the request. First, it must determine if the client is permitted to send requests via this specific forward proxy. It will then deny the request or forward it to the original server. The client does not directly connect to the Internet. It can only reach what the forward proxy allows the client to access.




The most common uses for forward proxies is to gain increased privacy or anonymity on internet. A forward proxy makes use of the internet as a client. In this manner, it may make use of an alternative IP address that is different to the client's original IP address.




Depending on how it has been configured, based on the way it's configured forward proxy could offer a number of choices and permit you to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You will be able to identify any restrictions based on your geographical place of residence.




Forward proxies also are used in systems that provide centralized security and access via authorizations, for instance in workplaces. When all internet traffic goes through a forward proxy, an administrator can permit only a few clients online access, which is filtered by a common firewall. Instead of keeping firewalls for the client layer that may include multiple devices that have different configurations and clients, the firewall could be put on the layer that forwards proxy traffic.




Note that forward proxies require manual setup to be used, while reverse proxies might not be detected from the customer. Depending on the kind of IP address that the client, it is relayed to the server that originated it via the forward proxy, privacy and security can be granted, or left unnoticed.




There are many possibilities to consider to find forward proxy alternatives:




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


Nginx is another well-known open-source web server that has the ability to forward-proxy.


Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer an entire internet server. You can refer to our step-by-step guide on how to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which allows it to be more appropriate for applications such as peer-to-peer. It's also possible to find out how to set up the Dante proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy acts as a representative of web servers, which handles the incoming requests of clients on behalf of. This web server may comprise a singular server, or multiple servers. Furthermore, it could serve as an application server such as Gunicorn. In both cases, the request is received via the web at large. Most of the time the request will be sent directly to the web server along with the information the client is in need of. Reverse proxy, however, functions as an intermediary and separates it from directly interacting with the internet's open.




From the perspective of a user the experience of interacting with reverse proxy is not any different from interacting with the Web server direct. It's the same thing and the client is unable to tell the distinction. The client makes a request for this resource and is then granted access without any additional configuration needed from the client.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The server for the web is secure centrally.


The sending of traffic according to rules that you decide to define.


Additional functions for caching.




While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy service, reverse proxy providers provide this benefit only to Web server layers, but not to the layer that clients use. instead of having firewalls at the layer of web servers that may contain several servers with various configurations, the bulk of firewall security is centered at that layer called reverse proxy. Furthermore eliminating the burden of interacting with firewalls as well as communicating requests from clients that are not connected to web servers allows them to concentrate solely on providing the needs of their clients.




In the case of multiple servers existing through a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also is responsible to control which requests are routed through which server. Multiple web servers could be serving the same content, offering various kinds of resources or a mix of the two. They may use the HTTP protocol similarly to traditional web servers, however they may also incorporate application server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to create reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers in accordance with the requested resource or to abide by specific guidelines for traffic load.




Reverse proxies also gain from their positioning before web servers, by providing caching functions. The large static file can be arranged using caching rules to prevent having to call web servers every time you request. Some options allowing you to directly serve static content without touching the web server in any way. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle the compression of these files.




The well-known Nginx web server also functions as a very popular reverse proxy solution. Even though Apache is also a reverse proxy solution however, the Apache web server also comes with a reverse proxy, which adds a feature to Apache However, Nginx was initially developed for and is focused specifically on its reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use Examples



Since "forward" or "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality and misleading comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic These labels could be confusing because both types of proxy respond to requests and other responses. Instead, a better way to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the requirements of the application you're creating.




Reverse proxy is a useful tool for the creation of an approach to offer web-based services via the internet. They are your web servers when you connect to the internet.




Forward proxy applications are beneficial to show clients' personal use, or in a business environment. They are your client's proxy for all communications via the internet.




The practice of segregating by use case rather than focusing on standard naming conventions makes it simpler to avoid confusion.



Conclusion



This article explains what a proxy is along with the two types, specifically, the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of the most beneficial features were utilized to differentiate forward proxies from reverse. If you'd like to discover the possibilities of proxy services, then read our guide on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy in Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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