The term "proxy" is a reference to the concept of a proxy or proxy server, a software that serves in the role of an intermediary client and server over the internet. Without the use of proxy, a user would make a request resources directly to a server and the server would provide the resource directly back at the requester's expense. While this approach is straightforward to grasp and use but adding proxies offers advantages including improved performance, privacy, security, and much more. In addition to providing a pass-through layer, the proxy functions as a security safeguard for the internet between clients and servers.




Generally speaking, the bundled equipment of servers with proxy software installed is often referred to as a proxy server. This article will concentrate on proxies typically considered as software, and specifically with regard to web servers. This article will give a description of the two major kinds, namely one being a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a different usage scenario, which is often misunderstood because of the similar terminology.




This article will provide the information on what proxies are and which subtypes they belong to and how they work in a variety of configurations. Through this article, you'll be able to recognize the situations where it is beneficial to use a proxy and select the best option between forward and reverse proxy, in any scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy also referred to as an open proxy acts as an intermediary for a client trying to make a connection via the internet to connect to a source server. In this scenario, the entire effort to send requests made by the user will instead be made via the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting on behalf that of the user, would take a look into the request. It will decide whether this client is able to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then deny requests or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client isn't allowed directly access to internet. It has access to only what the forward proxy allows it to access.




One of the most frequent uses for forward proxy is to achieve more privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as a client and it can use an alternative IP address in addition to the client's original IP address.




Based on the way it has been configured in accordance with the way it was configured, a forward proxy could provide a variety of functions and let you:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies can also be used in systems of centralized security and permission-based access like in workplaces. If all internet traffic flows via an open forward proxy administrators can allow access to only a few people to connect on the internet. This is then filtered by a standard firewall. Instead of setting up firewalls for the client layer which can be used by a variety of computer systems with different configurations and environments, a firewall may be added to this layer to forward proxy data.




It is important to remember that forward proxies must be manually configured for use and reverse proxies may go unnoticed by the client. Depending on the type of the IP address that a user is sent to the server from which it came from via the forward proxy, anonymity and privacy could be granted or not.




There are a number of options to think about forward proxy options:




Apache A popular open-source, well-known web server that provides forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy features.


Squid is an open source forward proxy using the HTTP protocol. It's not the full web server system. You can refer to our step-by-step guide to set up Squid proxy to enable private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP this is more suitable for use situations like peer-topeer traffic. You might also want to look into how to configure a Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to web servers, which handles incoming requests from customers on behalf of the server. This web server can serve as a one server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it can be used for application servers, such as Gunicorn. In any event it is possible to send a request via the internet at large. Typically, the request will go directly to the web server with what the client wants. The reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, shielding the server from direct communication to the open internet.




From a user's point of perception, the experience with reverse proxy isn't any different from working with the server on its own. It's exactly the same but the client can't discern the difference. The client is able to request the resource, and is then provided with it, with no further configuration required by the client.




Reverse proxy providers can provide features such as:




Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.


Traffic coming into your site is routed according to the rules you establish.


The caching feature was added to the application.




While centralized security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature for the Web server layer but not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at Web server layers that could include several servers that have different configurations, most of firewall security can be directed towards reverse proxy layers. Furthermore, removing the burden of interacting with firewalls as well as interacting with requests from clients outside of web servers allows them to focus on delivering the needs of their clients.




If there are several servers working in a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is responsible for directing which requests go to which server. There may be several web servers that provide the same service, each offering different kinds of resources, or a mixture of both. These servers could be running the HTTP protocol to function as a traditional web server. However, they can also include application server protocols such as FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy servers to redirect users to a specific server based on the service requested or to adhere to specific rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also be able to benefit from their position before web servers, by giving them the ability to cache information. Large static assets can be configured using caching rules, so that they prevent the web server from getting hit on every request. Certain solutions allow you to offer static files directly and without having to connect with the server. In addition, the reverse proxy could handle the compression of these files.




The popular Nginx web server also serves as an effective reverse proxy option. While you can use it, Apache web server as reverse proxy features, it is an additional option to Apache while Nginx was initially designed and is specifically focused on reverse proxy features.



Distinguishing Between Forward and Reverse Proxy Examples



Because "forward" as well as "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false connections with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels could be confusing as both kinds of proxy can handle requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxies is to examine the requirements of the app that you are creating.




A reverse proxy is useful when building a solution to serve web-based applications via the internet. They act as your web server for all interactions over the internet.




Forward proxy can be useful when it is displayed in front of customers either for your personal use or within a corporate environment. They are a representation of the customer's data whenever you interact on the internet.




Distinguishing by use case instead of focusing solely on standard names can help in making sure that there is no confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified the significance of a proxy having two types: the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of use as well as an examination of beneficial characteristics were used to determine the two types of proxies that are reverse and forward. If you're interested to learn more about the possibilities of proxies then we suggest you read our guide on how to configure Nginx to function as an Internet server and reverse proxy on Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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