It is proxy is proxy is also referred to as proxy server, which is a software that acts as a mediator between server and a client on the internet. Without proxy, a user will send a request for an item directly to the server and it would serve the requested resource directly to the user. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement, adding proxies offers benefits in terms of greater performance as well as privacy, security and many more. As an additional layer for being able to pass over, the proxy acts as a security guard to the internet between users and servers.




The majority of people agree it is the case that the mix of servers hardware with installed proxy software is often referred too as proxy servers. This article we will concentrate on proxies that are typically described as software as well as those that are used to work in conjunction to web server. This article will provide the full description of two types of proxies: that is the forward proxy and one called a reverse proxy. Each is unique in its use and is often misunderstood due to the same name convention.




This article will give you an understanding of what proxies are and what they are subtypes of, as well as the ways they can be useful for common setups. After reading this article, you'll be able to discern the scenarios that a proxy could be advantageous, and choose the best reverse or forward proxy for any particular situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy, also known in the form of an open proxy is the agent of a client who is trying to send requests via the internet to an the server that originated it. In this situation it is the situation that all requests coming from the client are directed to this forward proxy. In this scenario the forward proxy acting instead of the client, will scrutinize the request. It will first will decide whether the client is allowed to transmit requests through this particular forward proxy. It will then decide whether to refuse the request or forward it to the origin server. It's not able to direct connection via the Internet. It can only access what forward proxy permits it to access.




A common reason for using forward proxy is to achieve more privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy uses the internet as a personal client. In this process, it can utilize a different IP address in comparison to the original IP address that is used by the client.




Depending on how it's been established in the past forward proxy servers could offer a wide range of options, allowing you to:




Beware of ads that track you.


Circumvent surveillance.


Determine restrictions based on place of residence.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems to provide central security and permit-based access, for example, in a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic passes through an open forward proxy layer, an administrator is able to permit only a handful of users connection to internet which is then filtered by a firewall that is common to all. Instead of maintaining firewalls at the level of client, which could include multiple computers that have different environments and users, the firewall can be placed at the layer that forwards proxy traffic.




Be aware that forward proxies need to be manually setup to use, whereas reverse proxy can be ignored by clients. Depending on whether an IP address is transmitted to the origin server via the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity may get granted, or even made more transparent.




There are a myriad of choices to think about for forward proxies:




Apache An open-source, well-known web server with forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another well-known open-source web server that has forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is an open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It does not include an entire web server. Read our article on the most efficient method of setting up Squid proxy to allow connection with private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it more suitable for scenarios like peer-to -peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to set up an Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy is a representation of a web server which handles incoming requests by customers on its behalf. The web server could represent a single or multiple servers. It could also be an application server like Gunicorn. For any one of these cases, it is possible to receive a request via the internet in general. In most cases, the request will be delivered directly to the server with the resources that the user is seeking. The reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to isolate your website server from any interaction with the open internet.




From the perspective of a customer from the perspective of a customer reverse proxy is not different from communicating with you web server directly. It's basically the same and the client is unable to discern the difference. Client requests a resource, which is followed by receiving it, with no additional configuration needed for the user.




Reverse proxy proxies are able to provide options, such as:




Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.


Sending traffic to be directed according to rules that you can establish.


Additional features for caching.




While central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy solutions, reverse proxies give this benefit only to the server layer and not to the client layer. Instead of the maintenance of firewalls in the layer of web servers that may contain multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, removing the obligation of working with firewalls as well as communicating with requests from clients that are not connected to 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 the way requests are handled on which server. There could be multiple web servers running on the same server, providing various kinds of resources or a combination of both. They can be using the HTTP protocol in the same way as a traditional web server. They can include applications server protocols like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy that directs users to specific servers according to the kind of resource they are searching for, or adhere to certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies also can profit by their position before web servers by delivering the capacity of caching. Large static assets are able to be configured using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit on every request, with certain solutions providing the option to directly serve static assets without having to connect to the web server even once. Additionally reverse proxy can be able to handle compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server also functions as an acknowledged reverse proxy service. While you can use Nginx, the Apache web server is also equipped with a reverse proxy function it's a distinct feature available only for Apache and Nginx was originally designed and focused on reverse proxy functionality.



Distinguishing Forward and Reverse Proxy Use Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Use



Since "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false connections to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic These labels are confusing because both kinds of proxies can be used to respond to requests as well as responses. A better approach to distinguish between reverse and forward proxies is to examine the requirements of the application that you are creating.




A reverse proxy can be helpful in the development of a system to deliver web-based applications on the internet. They function as servers during any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy are useful when used in front of the client for your personal use or in the workplace. They represent your client traffic whenever you use the internet.




A distinction based on usage cases instead of focusing exclusively at similar names will assist you in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



This article explains the definition of a proxy that includes two types: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical application scenarios and a review of the advantageous features were used to differentiate forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about the possibilities of proxies then you can check out our tutorial on how you can set up Nginx as a reverse and web server proxy for Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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