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A proxy is also known as proxy server software that acts as a mediator between a client and server on the internet. Without the use of a proxy, a user would send a request to something directly through a server, and the server would deliver the resource directly back to the client. Though this approach is simple to comprehend and implement the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in terms improved performance security, privacy, and many more. Alongside providing a layer of security proxy servers also act as a security safeguard for the internet, separating clients from servers.




There is a general consensus that the set of servers and the hardware that is used along with proxy software is often called proxy servers. However, this article will focus on the proxies that are typically categorized as software and within the context of web servers. We will provide a brief overview of the two principal kinds of proxies, which include a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each has its own usage and can be confusing due to a similar name convention.




This article will provide you with an idea of the what proxies are and what their subtypes are and how they function in normal configurations. By reading the article you'll learn to recognize the circumstances in which it is beneficial to use a proxy and make the right choice between forward proxy and reverse proxy in any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



In the same way a forward proxy, also called open proxy. In other words, an open proxy acts as a representative of a customer who wishes to make an internet-based request to an origin server. In this case, every attempt to send requests from the client's side will be sent directly to the forward proxy. Forward proxy acting on place of the client will look into the request. The first step is to decide if the user is authorized receive requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then decide if it is authorized to refuse a request or forward it to the server that originally received it. The client isn't able to access directly the internet. It can only access what the forward proxy permits its access.




The most common reason to use forward proxies is to gain greater privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy allows you to connect to the internet in instead of a client and in this manner it could use an alternative IP address to the IP address originally used by the client.




Depending on how it's been previously configured forward proxy servers are able to provide a range of options. They allow you to:




Avoid ad tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can identify restrictions based upon your geographic location.




Forward proxies are also used in systems that provide central security and authorization based access, for example, in the workplace. If all internet traffic flows through an open forward proxy layer, administrators can limit access to specific clients on the internet that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place for the client layer that could include a variety of computers with different user and environment the firewall can be placed in the forward proxy layer.




It is important to note that settings for forward proxy must be manually set up to function in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxy settings can be ignored by clients. Depending on the type of IP address of a user is transmitted to the source server via forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted or not.




There are several possibilities to consider when it comes to forward proxy options:




Apache: A popular open-source web server that has forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another renowned open-source webserver, this one with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. Squid isn't a complete internet server. Take a look at our step-bystep guide to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy that runs using the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP this makes it more suited to situations such as peer-to-topeer traffic. You can also examine the steps to install the Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as a representation of web servers that handle the incoming requests of clients in its place. The web server could comprise one server or several servers. Additionally, it can serve as an application server like Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios an application request is made through the internet as a whole. Most of the time the request is directly sent to the web server along with the data the user is asking for. Reverse proxy, however, acts as an intermediary, securing Web server from any direct interactions with the web's public.




From a consumer's point of viewpoint, or a user's viewpoint, interfacing via a reverse proxy similar to using an internet server direct. It's exactly the same thing, however the user is unable to be able to discern the distinction. The client makes a request for the resource, and is then provided with it without any further configuration needed by the client.




Reverse proxies offer features like:




Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.


Controlling traffic that is inbound, based on rules you can design.


The caching feature has been added to the app.




While central security is an advantage for both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxy providers offer this benefit only to the server layer and not the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running for Web server layers that may contain many servers and various configurations, the majority of firewall security can be concentrated on reverse proxy layers. Also, the removal of the responsibility of interacting with firewalls as well as dealing with clients' requests outside of web servers permits them to focus on meeting the requirements of their clients.




In the event that there's multiple servers being hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy will also be responsible for directing what requests go to which server. There may be several web servers offering the same content, providing different kinds of content or a mix of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol similar to a traditional web server, however they could also include other protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy to redirect clients to specific servers based on the requested resource or to comply with specific rules pertaining to traffic load.




Reverse proxies also can make use of their location before web servers by delivering the ability to cache. The large static files can be configured by using caching rules in order to avoid from hitting web servers on every request. There are solutions that permit the server to serve static assets immediately without needing to connect to a web server even once. Furthermore, the reverse proxy can manage compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server can also function as an extremely popular reverse proxy service. Although Apache has a reverse proxy service but the Apache web server is also equipped with a reverse proxy function that is an added attribute of Apache however Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on its reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Examples



Since "forward" or "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false comparisons with "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing because both types of proxy are able to handle requests and responses. A better approach to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy is to examine the requirements of the application that you are building.




A reverse proxy can be helpful when building an application that runs web-based applications on the internet. They serve as your web servers when you interact on the web.




Forward proxy is useful when it is placed in front of clients for personal use or within the corporate setting. They are your client's representative whenever you use the internet.




The use case-based differentiation instead of focusing on the standard naming conventions could help in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified the meaning of a proxy, which includes two kinds: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of the most beneficial features were used to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about the process of implementing proxy servers, you can refer to our guide on how you can configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy with Apache on Ubuntu 20.04. Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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