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An proxy also referred to a proxy server is software that acts as an intermediary between client and server over the internet. Without the need for a proxy, an individual would send a request to something directly through a server and the server would deliver the resource directly to the client. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement, the addition of proxies could provide advantages in terms of enhanced performance and privacy, security and more. Alongside offering a security layer they also serve as a security safeguard for the internet between clients and servers.

The general consensus is that the collection of server hardware along with installed proxy software is often known as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxies which are usually classified as software and within the case of web servers. We will present a summary of the two main types, namely which are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has its own use, which can be confusing due to the same name convention.

This article will give you an idea of the nature of proxies and the subtypes of them and how they work in the typical setups. Through the article you'll learn to determine the situations where it's beneficial to use a proxy and choose the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy in any circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words a forward proxy, also called an open proxy is a proxy of a client who wants to send an internet request to an source server. In this situation, any request from the client will instead be routed direct through the forward proxy. Forward proxy acting on the instead of the user, will examine the request. The first step is to decide if the client has the right to accept requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it decides if it wants to deny a request and transfer it onto the server that originally received it. The client is unable to directly access the internet. It is only able to access the internet that the forward proxy permits it access to.

The most popular reason to use forward proxies is to increase privacy or security when surfing the internet. Forward proxy allows you to connect to the internet in place of a client, and in this manner it can employ a different IP address than the original IP address utilized by the client.

Based on the way it was previously configured forward proxy servers are able to offer a wide range of options and allow you to:

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  Do not be a victim of ad tracking.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You will be able to identify any limitations based on your geographical location.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be employed in systems that offer central security and permission-based access, such as at work. When all traffic on the internet passes through an open forward proxy layer, administrators can restrict access to only specific clients on the internet and filter it through a standard firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place to protect the client layer, which could include a variety of devices that are different in environments and users, the firewall could be placed into the forward proxy layer.

Be aware that forward proxy settings have to be manually configured for use in order to be used, while reverse proxy settings are disregarded by clients. Based on whether the IP address of a user is sent to the origin server through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or not.

There are several alternatives to think about for forward proxies:

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  Apache The Apache is a popular open-source webserver that includes forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver with forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. Squid isn't a complete internet server. Follow our step-by-step instructions to create Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy, which uses on the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it better appropriate for scenarios such as peer-to-topeer connections. It is also possible to look at the steps to install a Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as a proxy for web servers that handle the incoming requests of clients. The web server may include a server or multiple servers. Additionally, it can serve as an application server like Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, an application request comes by a user on the internet generally. In the majority of cases the request is directed directly to the web server along with the data the user is seeking. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, shielding Web servers from direct interaction with the internet's public.

From a consumer's point perspective, which is also from a user's perspective, working with a reverse proxy is identical to working with direct connections to an internet server. It's exactly the same however the client is unable to discern the differences. The client asks for a resource and then receives it, with no additional configuration required by the client.

Reverse proxies can provide features such as:

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  Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules you can design.
  
  
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  The caching functionality was added to the application.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxies provide this feature to only the server layer and it is not available to the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running on the web server layer which could contain multiple servers and various configurations, the majority of the firewall security is targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Also, the removal of the responsibility of interacting with a firewall and also interacting with clients' requests outside of web servers allows them to concentrate on serving the needs of their customers.

In the event that there's multiple servers being hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is also responsible for directing which requests go to the server. There may be several web servers providing identical content providing different kinds of content or a combination of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol similar to a standard web server however, they may also use different protocols for applications servers, such as FastCGI. It is also possible to 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 can also benefit from their position prior to web servers by providing the ability to cache. Massive static resources can be configured using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit with each request. There are solutions that permit users to serve static files immediately without needing to connect to the web server even once. In addition reverse proxy is able to control compression of these files.

The well-known Nginx web server also functions as a very popular reverse proxy service. Although Apache has a reverse proxy option but the Apache web server is also able to function complete with the reverse proxy functionality as an additional attribute of Apache while Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on its reverse proxy feature.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Examples

Since "forward" or "reverse" have connotations of directionality, and false comparisons with "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic the labels could be confusing because both types of proxy are able to handle requests and responses. The best way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to examine the specifications of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is beneficial when creating an application that runs web-based applications on the internet. They serve as your web servers for when you use the internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when it is placed before clients for personal use or within a corporate environment. They represent your customers whenever you use the internet.

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

Conclusion

This article clarified the definition of a proxy with the two kinds that are forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the beneficial features were utilized to differentiate between reverse and forward proxies. If you're interested to learn more about how to implement proxies you can check out our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy using Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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