The term "proxy" refers to a proxy, also called a proxy server. It is piece of software which acts as an intermediary for a client and server via the internet. Without a proxy, a client will send a request to resources directly to a server and it would then serve the resource directly back towards the customer. While this is a simple method to comprehend and implement, however, adding proxy servers could bring benefits including improved speed, privacy, security, and a host of other benefits. In addition to providing pass-through, the proxy serves as a guardian for the internet between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the bundled system of server hardware that is paired with installed proxy software is frequently described as a proxy server. This article will discuss proxy servers that are typically considered to be software, and in the context of web servers. There will be a discussion of the two major kinds of proxies. One being forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind of proxy has its own purpose and is often confused due to the resemblance of namesake convention.

This article will provide you with an idea of the types of proxies and subtypes and their benefits for setups that are common. After reading in this post, you'll be able to recognize situations where the use of proxies is beneficial, and you can then select the best choice between forward proxy and reverse proxy depending on the circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy also known in the context of open proxy. An open proxy acts as the representative of a client who wishes to forward a request via the internet to the server that originated it. In this situation, all attempts to send requests from the client's end will instead be directed to forward proxy. Forward proxy in lieu of the client, will look into the request. First, it will verify if the client is authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then reject any request, or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client does not have an internet connection directly It can only access what forward proxy permits it to access.

The most common reason to use forward proxies is the increased privacy or anonymity when surfing the web. A forward proxy accesses the internet as clients, and, in this manner it can utilize an IP address that is different from the original IP address used by the user.

Depending on the way it's configured, forward proxy will give you a range of options as well as the ability to:

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  Beware of ads-trackers.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Find restrictions based on your area.
  
  

Forward proxies are also employed in systems that offer central security and access based on permissions, such as in a workplace. All internet traffic can pass through a forward proxy Administrators are in a position to grant only specific clients access to the internet using a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place to protect the client layer which may include multiple computers that have different settings and environment the firewall is installed in an forward proxy layer.

It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxy settings have to be set up manually to permit the use of these proxy servers for use in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxy settings are not able to be noticed by the user. Based on the IP address of the user is passed on to the server from which it originated via the forward proxy, the privacy and security may be granted or left transparent.

There are many alternatives to take into consideration when considering forward proxy options:

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  Apache A well-known open source web server that has forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Nginx Another well-known open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: A free forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. It's not the complete webserver system. It is possible to refer to our guide on the best way to configure Squid proxy to handle connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, making it more suited to cases like peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary for web servers and is able to handle requests from customers on behalf of. Web servers can function as a single server or a number of servers. It could also be an application server, such as Gunicorn. In all cases, the request for an application comes from a user via the internet in general. The request will typically go directly to the web server that hosts the content that the client is trying to find. The reverse proxy acts as an intermediary in order to block your server from interaction with the internet's open.

From the perspective of a user's perspective, using reverse proxy isn't any different than interacting with the web server directly. It's functionally identical, but the user can't discern the distinction. The client requests an item and gets it with no additional configuration needed for the end user.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The web server is secured centrally.
  
  
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  The sending of traffic in accordance with the rules you have set.
  
  
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  Added functionality for caching.
  
  

While central security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxies provide this only for only the server layer but not to the client layer. instead of maintaining security firewalls in Web server layers that may include multiple servers with different configurations, the majority in firewall protection is aimed towards the reverse proxy layer. In addition, taking the burden of interacting with a firewall and interacting with requests from clients off web servers enables them to concentrate on serving the resources.

If there are more than one servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also responsible for controlling which requests go at which server. There may be several web servers operating within the server each serving various kinds of resources, or a combination of the two. These servers may use the HTTP protocol similar to a conventional web server. They may also use application server protocols like FastCGI. You can also configure a reverse proxy to route the clients towards specific servers based on the service requested, or to observe certain guidelines regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their position on top of web servers with the help of caching. The large static files can be set up with caching rules in order to avoid hitting web servers with every request. Some solutions even allowing users to upload static files directly without connecting with the server. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server has become an extremely popular reverse proxy solution. However, the Apache web server also comes with the reverse proxy feature as an additional feature which is accessible for Apache while Nginx was initially designed for and specifically focused on the reverse proxy feature.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Situations

Because "forward" in addition to "reverse" are both associated with a sense of directionality as well as inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic. These labels can be confusing, because both types of proxies can manage requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy servers is to look at the requirements of the application that you are developing.

Reverse proxy can be a valuable tool to use when designing a solution to host applications that are on the web. They represent your web servers in any interaction with the Internet.

Forward proxy can be useful to have working with clients in front for personal usage, or even in a work environment. They can be used to represent the traffic of your clients when you are on the internet.

A distinction based on use case instead of looking at the common name conventions can aid you in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained what a proxy is as well as two types of them: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical examples of its use and a discussion of the most effective features were utilized to differentiate forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning how to implement proxies we suggest that you read our guide on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy on Apache using the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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