It's also known as an proxy or proxy server, is a server software program which serves as an intermediary between a the server and the client on the internet. Without an intermediary, the user could send a request any resource directly to the server, and the server will serve the requested resource directly to the user. While this process is simple to understand and implement using proxy servers, it does offer benefits in terms of more performance, privacy, security, and more. As a pass-through layer the proxy acts as a security intermediary between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the bundled system of hardware for servers and software to install proxy servers is often referred by the name proxy servers. In this article, we'll concentrate on proxies that are typically thought of as software, as well as those that are used to complement web servers. We will provide a description of two types of proxies: forward proxy and a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use case, and is often misunderstood due the similar naming convention.

This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes are and what they can accomplish for most common configurations. In this article, you will be able to determine the scenarios where an effective proxy could be beneficial, and choose the correct solution in between forward and reverse proxy to suit your needs in any given scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words forward proxy, or an open proxy is the client's representative that is trying to send an internet request to a server that originated. In this case, all attempt to send requests from the client will be sent by the forward-proxy. In this scenario this forward-proxy acting the instead of the user will examine the request. It is the first thing to determine whether the client is authorized to make requests through this specific forward proxy. The forward proxy will then deny this request and forward it to the server that originally sent it. The client is not able to connect directly to the internet; it can only reach what the forward proxy gives the client access.

One of the most common reasons for forward proxy is to provide greater privacy or security online. A forward proxy can be utilized to connect to the internet in lieu of a client, and, in doing so, can use an alternative IP address that is different from the IP address that was originally assigned to the client.

Depending on how they were set up in the past forward proxy servers are able to provide a variety of functions and allow you to:

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  Avoid ad tracking.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You can spot limitations based on your geographic location.
  
  

Forward proxies are also employed to secure systems that are centralized and permission based access for instance, in the workplace. When all internet traffic passes through a common forward proxy layer administrators can grant access only to specific people to connect on the internet, which is then filtered by a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place for the client layer that could be comprised of a variety of devices that are different in user and environmental settings, a firewall can be placed in the intermediate layer.

Be aware that forward proxies require manual configuration to function, but reverse proxies are not noticed by the client. Based on whether an IP address from a customer is sent to the source server via an forward proxy. Privacy and security could be granted or ignored.

There are a variety of options to look into for forward proxy options:

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  Apache is a well-known open-source web server, that offers forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another widely used open-source server for web hosting that has forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Squid is an open-source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. This option doesn't include an entire web server service. We have a tutorial on how to install Squid proxy so that it allows private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP, making it more appropriate for scenarios like peer-to peer traffic. It is also possible to explore how you can set up Dante proxy to connect privately using Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is an agent for a web server, handling incoming requests by clients on its behalf. This server can comprise a single server, or multiple servers. It can also function for application servers, such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, it is possible to get a request from a user via the internet at large. The majority of the time the request will be sent direct to the website that hosts the resources the client is in need of. A reverse proxy is a intermediary, which separates Web servers from direct interaction with the internet.

From a user's perspective, which is from a user's point of view using reverse proxy isn't any different than connecting directly to your webserver. It's the same thing but the client isn't able to be able to tell the difference. The customer makes a request for an item and is given it without any additional configuration that needs to be done by the client.

Reverse proxy proxy servers can offer features, like:

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  A centralized layer of security that guards the server.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you can establish.
  
  
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  A new feature to cache has been added.
  
  

Central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy solutions, reverse proxies provide this feature to the layer of the internet server and not to that layer of the internet server, which is called client. Instead of focusing on the maintenance of firewalls at the layer of web servers which may include multiple servers with various configurations, the majority of firewall security could be directed at this layer. In addition, the absence of interfacing with a firewall and also interacting with clients' requests through web servers allows them to concentrate on the needs of their customers.

If multiple servers are that are running a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also determines the way requests are routed to which server. There are many web servers offering the same content, but they may offer different kinds of resources, or some mix of them. They may be using the HTTP protocol similar to a traditional web server, however, they may also include protocols for applications such as FastCGI. It is also possible to set up a reverse proxy to redirect the clients towards specific servers based on the resource requested, or to observe specific rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies can also take advantage of their placement in front of web servers by providing the ability to cache data. Large static files can be configured with caching rules to stop the web server from being hit on each request and some solutions even offer the option of providing static files directly without touching the servers in any manner. In addition, the reverse proxy could be able to handle compressing these files.

The well-known Nginx webserver is an extremely popular reverse proxy service. However, the Apache web server is also equipped with a reverse proxy function and is an alternative choice for Apache as opposed to Nginx was originally designed and focused on reverse proxy functionality.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Situations

Since "forward" in addition to "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality and a false comparison with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic. These labels can be confusing since each type of proxy handles both responses and requests. The best way to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to take into account the needs of the application that you are developing.

A reverse proxy can be helpful when designing an application that is able to deliver web-based apps via the internet. They are your web servers in all interactions on the web.

A forward proxy can be helpful when used on the internet in front of traffic from clients to your personal use, or in a work environment. They are a representation of your traffic when you use the internet.

Differentiating by use case as opposed to focusing only on the similar naming conventions will assist in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

This article describes what a proxy is with the two main kinds being forward proxy and reverse proxy. Application scenarios that are practical as well as an analysis of useful characteristics were used to define forward proxies and reverse proxy. If you're interested to learn more about how to implement proxy servers, check out our tutorial on how you can set up Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy using Apache running on one Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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