A proxy, also called a proxy server, is a program acting as an intermediary client and server via the internet. Without a proxy, a client would send a request for resources directly to the server and it would then serve the resource directly to the user. This method is simple to comprehend and implement, however, the addition of proxy servers can bring advantages like increased performance, privacy, security, and more. As an additional layer of passing through, the proxy acts as a security guardian of the internet between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the combined system of server hardware that is paired with the software for proxy installation is frequently referred to as proxy servers. This article will focus on the proxies that are usually considered to be software, and specifically in relation to web servers. There will be a discussion of the two main types of proxies, one being forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application and is often confused due to the similar namesake convention.

This article will give you an understanding of different subtypes and proxies, as well as their value for common setups. If you've read in this post, you'll be able to recognize situations where the use of proxy servers is beneficial, and you can then select the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy, based on the circumstances.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy also known by the name of an open proxy acts as the representative of a user who would like to send an internet request to an the server which originated it. In this scenario every attempt to send requests from the client's side will be directed directly to forward proxy. The forward proxy, instead of the client, will look into the request. It will first determine if this client is authorized to accept requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then deny any request or forward it to the origin server. The client is not able to have direct connection to the internet and can only access what forward proxy permits it to connect to.

The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxies is the increased privacy or anonymity online. A forward proxy accesses the internet as clients, and as such, it could use an IP address that is different from the original IP address of the user.

Depending on how it's been configured the forward proxy will provide a variety of functions and the capability to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Find restrictions that are based on your location.
  
  

Forward proxies also are utilized in systems that provide centralized security as well as access based on permissions, such as at work. If all internet traffic passes through a forward proxy, an administrator is capable of allowing only certain clients to access the internet through a single firewall. Instead of having firewalls installed to protect the client layer which may include multiple computers that have different settings and environment, a firewall can be installed in an forward proxy layer.

It is crucial to keep in mind the forward proxy configurations have to be manually setup to allow the forward proxy to function for use in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxy settings are not able to be detected by the user. Based on whether or not an IP address belonging to a user is passed on to the server that originated it via forward proxy, privacy and security may be granted or kept in the dark.

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

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  Apache A well-known open source web server with forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another renowned open-source web hosting server that has forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Squid: A free forward proxy that uses it's HTTP protocol. It's not the full Web Server System. It is possible to refer to our guide on the best way to configure Squid proxy to allow private connections 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 such as peer-to-peer communication. You can also learn how to configure Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy functions as an intermediary between a web server, and takes care of requests from clients for the web server. The web server may serve as a one server or multiple servers. It could also be an application server, such as Gunicorn. In any event, an application request comes by a user on the internet at large. Typically, the request will go directly to the server that hosts what the client is searching for. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary in order to block your server from interaction with the internet's open.

From a consumer's point of perspective, using reverse proxy doesn't differ from communicating with your webserver directly. It's functionally similar, however the client cannot tell the distinction. The client requests an item and receives it, without requiring any additional configuration from the user.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The server for the web is secure centrally.
  
  
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  Sending traffic to be directed according to the rules you establish.
  
  
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  The caching functionality was added to the application.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this feature only to the web server layer, but not the client layer. Instead of maintaining security firewalls in Web server layers which may comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority protection of the firewall is directed towards the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the burden of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with clients' requests off of web servers lets them focus on serving resources.

If there are multiple servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy is also accountable for deciding what requests are routed to the server. There could be multiple web servers operating from the same host, each serving various kinds of resources, or a combination of both. These servers could use the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server. They may also use protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers in accordance with the service being requested or to adhere to certain traffic load rules.

Reverse proxies can also take advantage of their placement on top of web servers through the capability of caching. The large static files can be configured with caching rules in order to avoid the web server from being hit with each request. Some solutions even allowing users to upload static files in a direct manner without linking with the server. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle the compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx webserver is an extremely popular reverse proxy solution. While the Apache web server comes with a reverse proxy option as an additional feature that is available for Apache whereas Nginx was originally designed to and is specifically designed for reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations

Because "forward" in addition to "reverse" are both associated with a sense of directionality and also inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic, these terms can be confusing because both types of proxies can handle requests as well as responses. An alternative method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy servers would be to analyze the requirements of the application that you're developing.

Reverse proxy is a useful tool when you are creating a solution for serving web applications on the internet. They are your web servers during any interaction through the Internet.

A forward proxy is useful to have facing clients for personal usage, or even in a business environment. They represent your client traffic whenever you connect to the internet.

A distinction based on use rather than focusing on the common naming conventions can assist 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. Examples of how to use them and a discussion of the most effective features were utilized to distinguish forward proxies from reverse. If you're interested in learning how to implement proxies we suggest that you read our guide on how to set up Nginx as an reverse proxy and internet server on Apache on and Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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