It is proxy is proxy is also referred to as proxy server, which is a software that sits as a mediator between a client and server over the internet. Without a proxy, a client would make a request the resource directly to a server and it would serve that resource to its user directly. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement, adding proxies offers benefits in terms of better performance as well as privacy, security and more. In addition to being able to pass through, a proxy functions as a gatekeeper for the internet between clients and servers.

There is a general consensus it is the case that the mix of servers hardware with installed proxy software is frequently referred too as proxy servers. This article we'll focus on proxies typically described as software as well as those that are used together to web server. This article will present the full description of two types of proxy: that is one that is a forward proxy and one called a reverse proxy. Each type is unique in its use and is often misunderstood due to the same name convention.

This article will provide some understanding about what proxies are and what subtypes they have, and what ways they can be useful for common setups. After reading this article, you'll be able to discern the scenarios where a proxy can be useful, and then decide the best forward proxy or reverse proxy for any particular situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy sometimes known as an open proxy is the agent of a client who is trying to send an internet request to an source server. In this situation it is the situation that all requests coming from the client will rather be directed to the forward proxy. In this scenario the forward proxy acting in place of the client will examine the request. At the beginning, it will decide whether the client is permitted to transmit requests through this specific forward proxy. It will then decide whether to reject the request or transfer it over to the origin server. It's not able to directly connect via the Internet. It can only access what the forward proxy permits it to access.

A common reason for using forward proxies is to gain greater privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy uses the internet as an individual client, and during this manner, it may use another IP address in comparison to the original IP address of the client.

Depending on how they were set up in the past forward proxy servers may give you a variety of options. They allow you to:

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  Stay clear of tracking ads.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Find restrictions based on your place of residence.
  
  

Forward proxies are also employed in systems that provide central security as well as permission-based access, such as in the workplace. In the event that all internet traffic is routed via an open forward proxy, an administrator is able to permit only a small number of clients connection to internet, which is filtered by a common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls for the client layer, which can include multiple machines that have different environments and users, the firewall could be installed at the layer that forwards proxy traffic.

Keep in mind that forward proxy servers have to be set up manually prior to use, whereas reverse proxies are often ignored by clients. Depending on whether an IP address is passed on to the origin server through the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity may get granted, or even made more transparent.

There are a myriad of options to be considered in the case of forward proxies:

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  Apache A well-known, open-source web server that offers forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another renowned open-source web server with forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Squid is an open source forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. This option doesn't include the entire web server service. Read our article on the best method of setting up Squid proxy to allow connection with private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead HTTP, making it more suitable for scenarios like peer-to-peer communication. It's also a good idea to know how to configure a Dante proxy for private connections within Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is a representative of a web server that handles requests by customers on its behalf. Web servers can represent a single or several servers. Additionally, it could represent an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request may come from a client through the internet in general. The majority of the time the request will be sent directly to the web server with the resources that the user is looking for. Reverse proxy, however, acts as an intermediary, and blocks your server from interactions with the open internet.

From the perspective of a customer from the perspective of a customer, using a reverse proxy is not different from communicating with your webserver directly. It's basically the same, and the client cannot tell the difference. Client requests resources, and then receives it, with no additional configuration needed for the user.

Reverse proxy proxies may offer features, like:

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  Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.
  
  
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  The sending of traffic in accordance with rules you can set up.
  
  
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  Additional functionality to cache data.
  
  

Although central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy service, reverse proxy providers provide this benefit only to the server layer and not to the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls on the layer of web servers which can contain several servers that have different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, the removal of the requirement of interacting with firewalls and communicating with requests from clients far from web servers allows firewalls to focus on the requirements of their clients.

If there are multiple servers behind a reverse proxy the reverse proxy is also in charge of how requests are routed to which server. There could be multiple web servers running on the same server, serving different types of resources, or a combination of the two. These servers may use the HTTP protocol as a conventional web server. They can also use applications server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy that directs clients to specific servers based on the kind of resource they are searching for, or follow certain rules to manage traffic load.

Reverse proxies also profit from their placement before web servers by delivering the ability to cache. Large static assets can be set up with caching policies to avoid hitting web servers on each request, with some solutions offering the possibility to directly serve static assets without connecting with the server at all. Additionally reverse proxy can handle the compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx web server is also known as a reverse proxy service. You can also use it, Apache web server, it is equipped with reverse proxy features however it's a distinct feature available only for Apache however Nginx was initially developed for and focused on reverse proxy functionality.

Differentiating Forward and reverse proxy Utilizing Differentiation of Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use

Due to the fact that "forward" as well as "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic. The labels can be confusing as both kinds of proxy can be used to handle requests as well as responses. A better approach to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy services is to study the requirements of the app that you are creating.

A reverse proxy could be useful in the creation of a system to deliver web-based applications on the internet. They act as your servers when you interact with the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when used before a client for personal use or in a workplace setting. They can be used to represent the traffic of your clients when you interact with the internet.

A distinction based on usage case instead of focusing solely upon similar conventions for naming will aid in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article provides the definition of a proxy, which includes two types that are forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical application scenarios and a review of the useful features were utilized to distinguish forward proxies and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about the possibilities of proxy services, then you can check out our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as reverse proxy and web server proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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