It is an proxy is often referred to as proxy server software which acts as an intermediary between the server and the client via the internet. Without the proxy, a client would be able to send a request to a request directly to the server and the server will then send the resource directly back to the client. This is not difficult to understand and implement, however, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in the form of enhanced security, performance, privacy as well as other benefits. As an additional layer of pass-through proxy servers act as a security layer for the internet between clients and servers.




In general the mix of server hardware and installed proxy software is often called a proxy server. The article we will concentrate on proxies commonly thought to be software, specifically in relation to web servers. We will also discuss of two types of proxies: which are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each has its own usage situation, however they're often misunderstood due to a similar namesake convention.




This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes are, as well as the ways they can be useful for common setups. In this article, you'll understand how to discern the scenarios in which you can benefit by a proxy. You'll also be able to pick the best choice between reverse and forward proxy, in each scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy often referred to as open proxy, also known as open proxy is an agent for a user who is trying to transmit a request over the internet to an original server. In this case all requests from the client will instead be directed through this forward proxy. In this scenario an agent acting on behalf of the forward proxy in in the place of the customer will look into the request. It is the first thing to determine whether the client is permitted to make requests via this particular forward proxy. It then decides whether to reject any request, or redirect it to the original server. The client has no directly connected to the web. it only has access to what the forward proxy permits it to access.




The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxy is for greater privacy or protection on the internet. Forward proxy makes use of web services as clients during this process it assigns an alternative IP address to the IP address of your client.




Based on the way it was set up in the past forward proxy servers could offer a range of features, allowing you to:




Avoid ad tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions based on your geolocation.




Forward proxies are also utilized in systems to provide central security as well as permission-based access, for instance in workplaces. In the event that all internet traffic goes through an open forward proxy layer, administrators may restrict access to only certain clients to the internet through a common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls for the client layer that could involve many machines with varying settings and users, a firewall can be installed at the proxy layer that forwards.




Be aware the forward proxy configurations need to be manually set up before they can be used in order to be used and reverse proxies are able to not be observed by the user. Depending on the type of IP address of the user's IP address, the server that it came from through the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity could be granted, or left unnoticed.




There are many possibilities to consider for forward proxy options:




Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server that offers forward proxy capabilities.


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


Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not a complete webserver system. We recommend you to read our guide on how to create a Squid proxy for private connections using Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy which runs on the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more suited for scenarios such as peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to look into how to install the Dante proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves to act as an intermediary the web server and it takes responsibility for incoming requests from customers for the benefit of. This server could function as a single server or multiple servers. In addition, it could be an application-server such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios the request will be made by a client via the internet as a whole. The request would typically be directly sent to the web server that holds all the resources that the client is seeks. Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, shielding this webserver from direct contact with the open internet.




From the perspective of the user's viewpoint from the perspective of a client, using reverse proxy is similar to interacting with the server by itself. It's functionally similar, but the user cannot tell the distinction. The client requests a resource, and is then provided with it without extra configuration needed from the client.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The web server is protected centrally.


The direction of traffic coming in is to you based on rules you set up.


The caching function is now available to users.




While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy systems, reverse proxy providers provide this feature to this layer of the internet server not the client layer. instead of establishing firewalls at Web server layers that could include many servers and different configurations, the majority of firewall security could be focused on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the hassle of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with requests from clients outside of web servers allows the firewall to focus on providing resources.




If multiple servers are operating in reverse proxy The reverse proxy determines the method by which requests are routed to which server. A number of web servers could be operating on the same server, providing different kinds of resources or a mix of the two. They use the HTTP protocol similar to a traditional web server, but can additionally include protocols for application servers like FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy to direct clients to specific servers based on the kind of resource they're searching for or to follow certain guidelines on the volume of traffic.




Reverse proxies may benefit from their position on top of web servers through the capability of caching. The large static files can be configured using caching rules to prevent hitting web servers with each request. Certain options allow users to serve static assets, without connecting with the server in any way. Additionally, the reverse proxy can handle compressing these assets.




The popular Nginx web server is also a popular reverse proxy solution. Although it is true that the Apache webserver also equipped with reverse proxy feature, it's an additional feature available only for Apache but Nginx was initially designed and is focused on reverse proxy features.



Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Utilizing Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use



Because "forward" along with "reverse" are associated with a sense of directionality as well as misleading distinctions between "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, these labels can confuse because both kinds of proxy handle responses and requests. Better yet, the best method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to study the requirements of the app you're creating.




Reverse proxy is an effective tool when you're developing a solution to serve web-based applications via the internet. They act as your web servers every time you use the internet.




Forward proxy is a great tool for displaying clients to use for personal purposes, or in a work environment. They represent the client's information when you use the internet.




Separating by use case instead of focusing on the similar naming conventions will ensure that you won't be confused.



Conclusion



This article will explain the definition of a proxy with the two main types which are the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of use as well as a discussion of the most beneficial characteristics were used to define the distinction between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in exploring the possibilities of proxies you must follow our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as a reverse proxy for Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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