The term "proxy" refers to the concept of a proxy or proxy server a server software that serves to act as an intermediary for client and server over the internet. Without the use of proxy, a user would make a request resources directly to a server, then the server could return the resource directly back at the requester's expense. Although this method is easy to grasp and use but using proxies has benefits including improved performance as well as privacy, security and many more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy acts as a security layer for the internet between servers and clients.




Generally speaking, the bundled combination of hardware and software for servers with proxy software installed is sometimes referred to as proxy servers. This article will focus on the types of proxies that are typically thought to be software, and specifically in relation to web servers. The article will provide an explanation of two types, namely one being a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a different application, and is often confused due to the overlapping terminology.




This article will provide you with the understanding of the types of proxy and the subtypes they are, as well as how they work in a variety of configurations. Through this guide, you'll be able to determine the circumstances in which a proxy is beneficial, and choose the correct solution between forward and reverse proxy for any situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy sometimes referred to as an open proxy, is a means of intermediary to allow a user to send a request over the internet to connect to a source server. In this scenario, the entire effort to send requests from the user is instead made through the forward proxy. This forward proxy acting as a substitute of the client, will look at the request. At the beginning, it will determine if the client can accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either reject requests or redirect them to the server that originated it. The client isn't allowed directly access to internet. It is only able to access what forward proxy allows it to access.




A common use case of forward proxy services is to obtain more privacy or security when using the internet. Forward proxy is able to access the internet using the user and, in doing so, it can use an alternative IP address to that of the client's original IP address.




Based on the way it has been configured according to the configuration forward proxy can provide a variety of functions and allow you to:




Beware of tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies can also be used in systems that rely on central security and permission-based access like in workplaces. If all internet traffic flows through a forward proxy open layer administrators can allow access to only a few individuals to access the web. This is blocked by a common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on the layer of clients that can be used by several computer systems with different configurations and users and environment, the firewall may be installed at the proxy layer.




It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxies need to be configured manually and reverse proxies may be ignored by the client. Depending on the type of IP address a client is transmitted to the server from where it originated through the forward proxy, anonymity and privacy could be granted or not.




There are a number of options to think about for forward proxy:




Apache A well-known, open-source web server that provides forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another well-known open source server for web hosting that has forward proxy features.


Squid is an open-source forward proxy based on the HTTP protocol. It's not the complete webserver system. We have a step-by-step instructions to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP this makes it more appropriate for situations such as peer-topeer traffic. You might also want to learn how to setup the Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to a web server, handling the incoming requests of customers on behalf of the server. This web server can serve as a single server or multiple servers. Furthermore, it could serve as an application server, such as Gunicorn. In any case, a request would come from the Internet at large. Most often the request would go directly to the web server and include the information the user wants. However, reverse proxy serves as an intermediary securing the server from direct contact with the internet's open.




From the consumer's point perspective, the experience of working using reverse proxy isn't much different from working with the server by itself. It's exactly the same but the client can't distinguish between the two. Clients can request the resource and receive it, with no additional configuration required on the part of the client.




Reverse proxy providers offer options like:




Security centralized for web servers.


Incoming traffic is directed by rules you have set.


The caching functionality has been added to the app.




While central security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature to the web server layer, but not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at Web server layers that could contain multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of the firewall security could be focused at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, getting rid of the burden of interacting with firewalls and responding to requests from customers outside of web servers allows them to focus on delivering the needs of their clients.




If there are multiple servers running through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy manages the flow of requests to each server. There may be several web servers offering the same service, each offering various kinds of resources or a mix of both. These servers could be running the HTTP protocol as a conventional web server. But, they may also include application server protocols such as FastCGI. You can configure reverse proxy servers to redirect users to a specific server based on the service they require or to adhere to specific guidelines for traffic load.




Reverse proxies also have the ability to benefit from their position prior to web servers by giving them the ability to cache data. Large static assets can be configured by caching rules so that they avoid Web servers from being hit every time a request is made. Certain solutions allow you to offer static files directly by not connecting with the website server. Additionally the reverse proxy may handle the compression of these files.




The popular Nginx web server is also a reliable reverse proxy solution. Although Nginx, the Apache web server with reverse proxy features as an alternative option to Apache however Nginx was designed originally for and is focused specifically on reverse proxy features.



Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Use The Case



Since "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality, and false connections with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can be confusing since both types of proxies are capable of handling requests and responses. Another method of separating between forward and reverse proxy is to study the requirements of the app you're developing.




A reverse proxy is beneficial when designing a solution to serve web-based applications via the internet. They act as your web server for all interactions over the internet.




Forward proxy is useful when it is displayed before customers for your personal use or within the corporate setting. They represent the client's information every time you use the internet.




The ability to differentiate by the use of case instead of focusing on common names can help in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified the significance of a proxy having two types: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical examples of use and an analysis of beneficial characteristics were used to determine the two kinds of proxy which are reverse and forward. If you're interested to learn more about the benefits of proxies, then we recommend you read our guide on how you can set up Nginx to function as an Internet server and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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