An proxy is also known as a proxy server software that acts to act as a mediator between server and client over the internet. With no proxy in place, a client could make a request an online resource directly to a server, and the server would serve the resource directly to the user. Although this method is easy to comprehend and implement, using proxies provides benefits such as improved performance as well as privacy, security and much more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy acts as a gatekeeper of the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the combination of server hardware and installed proxy software is commonly 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 the full description of two kinds: forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type of proxy has its own scenario, and is frequently not understood due to the similar terminology.




This article will give you details on the different types of proxy services, what their subtypes are and how they work in a variety of configurations. After reading this article, you will be able identify situations in which using proxies can be beneficial, and choose the best option between forward and reverse proxy depending on the situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy sometimes called an open proxy serves as a representative for a customer who needs to make an internet-based request to an the server that originated it. In this case, the entire process of sending requests made by the user is instead made through the forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in place of the client will take a look into the request. Then, it determines whether the client has the right to send requests via this particular forward proxy. It will then decide whether to deny any request or send it to the source server. The client does not have direct access for the web. It is able to access only the content that forward proxy allows it to access.




A popular use for forward proxy is to provide greater privacy and security when surfing the internet. Forward proxy is able to access the internet instead of a client. by doing this it can make use of an IP address that is different from the IP address that was originally used by the client.




Depending on how it has been configured, based on the way it's configured, forward proxy may offer you a variety of features based on the configuration, which allows you to:




Do not be a victim of ad-tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


Recognize the restrictions based on your place of residence.




Forward proxies are also used for security systems that are centralised as well as access that is permission-based for instance, such as at work. If all traffic on the internet passes via an open forward proxy an administrator can grant only a small number of clients access to the internet by the standard firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on the server layer that could include a variety of machines that have different environments and types of users. A firewall may be installed at the forward proxy layer.




It is important to remember that forward proxy servers must be manually set up to use while reverse proxies will not be detected by the user. Depending on the type of the IP address that the user, they are transferred to the server from which it originated through the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity may be granted or not.




There are a variety of possibilities to think about when it comes to forward proxies.




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


Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver that comes with capability to use forward proxy.


Squid: A free forward proxy using an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer the entire web server. We have an article on how to create Squid proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is forward proxy which makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it better for use instances such as peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to configure Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as an agent for a web server, which handles any requests that come in from clients on its behalf. The web server may include one or more servers. Also, it could become an application-server such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request will originate from the internet at large. In the majority of cases requests will then be transmitted directly to the web server along with the resources the user seeks. Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, isolating this webserver from direct communication with the internet.




From the viewpoint of a user the experience of interacting with a reverse proxy is no different than communicating with an internet server direct. It's basically the same, but the client can't be able to discern the difference. The client makes a request for the resource, and is then provided with it, with no additional configuration required from the client.




Reverse proxies provide features like:




Security centralized for web servers.


Controlling traffic that is incoming based on rules you set.


New feature added to caching.




While centralized security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy servers. Reverse proxy servers offer this feature only to the layer that is the webserver and not to those who are on the client side. Instead of maintaining firewalls in the layer of web servers, which might contain many servers and various configurations, the bulk of firewall security is targeted to the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interacting with a firewall and connecting with requests from customers via web servers allows them to focus solely on serving the needs of their customers.




If there are multiple servers using a reverse-proxy the reverse proxy also handles the direction that requests are directed towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers operating from the same host, offering different kinds of resources, or a mix of the two. They can utilize the HTTP protocol just like a conventional web server, however they may also be able to be equipped with applications server protocols, such as FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy to direct users to a particular server based on the service you request, or to certain rules regarding the traffic load.




Reverse proxies also gain by their position over web servers, as they provide caching capabilities. Massive static files can be set up with caching rules to avoid needing to connect with web servers every time. Some solutions allowing you to directly serve static files without having to interact with the webserver for even one time. Additionally, the reverse proxy is capable of handling the compression of these assets.




The renowned Nginx web server functions as an extremely popular reverse proxy option. While Apache is an alternative to reverse proxy it is not the only one. Apache web server does have reverse proxy capabilities, however, it's an additional feature that is available to Apache unlike Nginx was originally designed to and focuses upon the feature of reverse proxy.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use



Because "forward" and "reverse" are both associated with a sense of directionality and false comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the names could be confusing because the two types of proxies deal with requests and responses. The best way to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy providers is to consider the requirements of the app you're creating.




A reverse proxy is useful when building a solution to deliver web-based apps over the internet. They serve as your web servers during any interaction on the web.




Forward proxy can be helpful when placed before users for personal use or in a workplace setting. They represent the traffic of your client when you use the internet.




Separating by use case instead of using only standard naming conventions can help make sure that you don't get confused.



Conclusion



This article provides the definition of a proxy with the two primary kinds, namely forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical examples of use and an overview of beneficial features was utilized to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy. If you're interested to learn more about the possibilities of proxies, you can read our guide on how to configure Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy within Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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