An proxy can also be referred to as a proxy server. is software that functions as an intermediary between client and server via the internet. If there was no proxy in place, the user could send a request for every resource straight to server, and servers would provide any requested resources directly to the client. This is a simple method to understand and use, however the addition of proxy servers may provide benefits like increased performance, privacy, security, among others. As an additional layer of security proxy servers act as a security guard for the internet, separating clients from servers.




The general consensus is that the hardware for servers, paired with proxy software is often called proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxies traditionally defined as software, specifically in relation with web server. We will give a synopsis of the two main kinds of proxies: a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has a distinct use, which could be confusing due to the same namestamp.




This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes, and what they can do in common configurations. Through this article you'll be able recognize the situations where you can benefit by a proxy and determine the best choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy for any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy sometimes called open proxy, sometimes referred to as open proxy is a proxy for users who wish to make a request over the internet to an source server. In this scenario, every request sent by the client will be sent through this forward proxy. A forward proxy in the place of the client will review the request. It first will determine if the client is authorized to accept requests through this specific forward proxy. It will then either refuse the request or forward it to the server that originated it. The client is not able to have directly access to internet; it can only be capable of accessing the information that forward proxy grants it access to.




One of the most frequent reasons for forward proxy is to provide greater security or privacy on the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet in lieu of an individual client, and can use another IP address in comparison to the original IP address that is used by the user.




Depending on how it's set up, and how it's set up forward proxy can provide various features that allow you to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


Determine restrictions based on location.




Forward proxies are also used in systems that provide central security and permit-based access, such as in a workplace. If all internet traffic passes through an open forward proxy layer, administrators are able to restrict access to only certain clients to the internet. The web is controlled by a standard firewall. Instead of having firewalls for the client layer which may include multiple machines with different configurations and users, a firewall could be placed an intermediary layer.




Be aware that forward proxies should be set up manually for be used, while reverse proxies can be ignored by the client. Depending on the type of IP address of the client, it is transmitted to the server that generated it by the forward proxy privacy and security can be granted or made more transparent.




There are a variety of choices to be considered in determining forward proxy:




Apache is a well-known open-source web server that offers forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another well-known open-source webserver which has forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is an open source forward proxy that makes use of the HTTP protocol. It does not contain the whole web server. It is possible to refer to our article on the best method to install Squid proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is a forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more appropriate for situations such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to learn how to set up an Dante proxy to allow connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy acts as the web server that handles the requests of customers on behalf of the server. It can be used as a single server or a number of servers. In addition, it could include an application servers, such as Gunicorn. In any of these instances it is possible to send a request via the web at large. Most of the time, the request is sent directly to the server with all the resources the client in need of. A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, separating your website server from communicating with the web's public.




From a consumer's point the client's point of, using reverse proxy is not any different than connecting to an internet server direct. It's functionally identical, however the client can't discern the distinction. The client makes a request for the resource and receives it without any further configuration required from the client.




Reverse proxies provide options like:




A central layer of security to guard the server.


The direction of traffic that is using rules that you can establish.


A new feature to cache has been added.




Although central security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy solutions, reverse proxy providers provide this feature only to only the server layer and not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at the server level which might contain many servers and different configurations, the bulk of firewall security can be directed at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the burden of interacting with firewalls and interacting with requests from clients not connected to web servers allows them to focus on only the requirements of their customers.




In the event of multiple servers hosting through a reverse proxy it also handles the routing of requests to the servers. There could be multiple web servers providing the exact same service, serving various kinds of resources, or a combination of the two. They may use the HTTP protocol for functioning as a normal web server, however they can additionally include applications server protocols like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers according to the requested resource, or to adhere to certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also make use of their positioning before web servers by offering caching capabilities. Large static assets can be managed using caching rules to prevent getting to web servers for each time a request is made. There are options that provide the possibility of serving static content directly, without having to connect with a webserver. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle compressing these assets.




The renowned Nginx webserver is known as a very popular reverse proxy option. While it is true that it is true that the Apache web server has the ability to reverse proxy as an added feature for Apache However, Nginx was originally designed to focus on reverse proxy functionality.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Examples



Because "forward" and "reverse" are associated with a sense of directionality and misleading comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic and could be confusing because both kinds of proxies process requests and responses. Instead, a better way to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy servers is to analyze the requirements of the app you're building.




Reverse proxy is a crucial feature in the development of a solution to serve websites on the internet. They serve as servers when you interact with the Internet.




Forward proxy is useful in displaying customer information to your personal use or for use in a working environment. They represent the client's information whenever you interact on the internet.




A distinction based upon use case rather than focusing only on similar naming conventions will help avoid confusion.



Conclusion



In this article, we clarified the definition of a proxy. There are two kinds of proxy being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and an exploration of beneficial attributes were used to determine forward proxies as well as reverse proxies. If you're interested exploring the benefits for proxy servers you can read our guide on how you can configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy in Apache using the Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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