An proxy is also known as a proxy server is software that functions as an intermediary between client and server on the internet. Without the use of a proxy, a user would send a request to an item directly to a server and the server would deliver the item directly to the user. While this is a simple method to comprehend and implement the addition of proxies can offer advantages in terms improved performance and privacy, security and more. Alongside adding a layer of security proxy servers also act as a security guardian of the internet between servers and clients.

There is a general consensus that the collection of servers and the hardware that is used along with proxy software is often referred to proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxies which are usually classified as software, and in the context of web servers. This article will give a synopsis of the two main types that are forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use and can be confusing due to a similar name convention.

This article will give you an understanding of what proxies are and the subtypes of them, as well as how they work in the typical setups. In in this post, you'll learn to determine the situations in which it is beneficial to use a proxy and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy, in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words forward proxy also known as an open proxy acts as a representative of a user who would like to make an internet-based request to an source server. In this case, every request made by the client's side will be directed direct to the forward proxy. Forward proxy acting on the place of the client will examine the request. First, it will determine if the user is authorized receive requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then decide if it is authorized to deny a request and forward it to the original server. The client isn't able to have direct access to the internet. It is only able to access the internet that the forward proxy grants its access.

The most common reason for using forward proxy services is to increase privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy is able to connect to the internet in the place of a client and in this manner it could use an alternative IP address to the original IP address utilized by the client.

Depending on how it's been set up in the past, forward proxy servers can give you a variety of options. They allow you to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You can determine limitations based on your geographical area.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be employed in systems that offer central security and permission-based access, like at work. When all internet traffic passes through an open forward proxy, administrators are able to restrict access to certain clients to the internet that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls for the client layer that may comprise a range of machines that have different user and environment the firewall could be placed within the forward proxy layer.

It is important to note that settings for forward proxy must be manually configured for use in order to be used and reverse proxies are able to be disregarded by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of a client is passed to the original server through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted or denied.

There are a variety of options to take into consideration for forward proxies

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  Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server with forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open-source webserver with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid is a free forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete Web server service. Check out our step-by-step guide to install Squid proxy to permit private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy which runs on the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP which makes it better appropriate for scenarios such as peer-to-topeer traffic. You can also examine how you can install the Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy acts as a representative of web servers, which handles the incoming requests of clients in its place. The web server may include one or more servers. It could also be used as an application server like Gunicorn. In any of these situations, an application request is made by a user on the internet in general. In most cases the request will be sent directly to the server that hosts the information that the client is asking for. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, shielding Web server from any direct interactions with the web's public.

From a consumer's point view that is 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 thing, however the user is unable to discern the differences. The client requests an item and receives it without any further configuration required by the client.

Reverse proxies offer features like:

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  Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you can set up.
  
  
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  The caching feature is now available to users.
  
  

While central security is an advantage for both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies provide this benefit only to the server layer and not the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running on Web server layers, which could contain multiple servers and different configurations, the bulk of the firewall security is targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interacting with firewalls and also interacting with clients' requests outside of web servers permits them to concentrate on providing the requirements of their clients.

When there is a multitude of servers hosted with a reverse-proxy the reverse proxy will also be responsible for directing what requests go at which server. There may be several web servers that provide identical content providing different kinds of content or a mix of both. They can use the HTTP protocol exactly the same way as an ordinary web server however they could also include other protocols for application servers like FastCGI. It is also possible to set up a reverse proxy to redirect the clients towards specific servers based on the requested resource or to follow specific rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position before web servers by delivering the ability to cache. Massive static resources can be set up by using caching rules in order to avoid hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions even allowing you to serve static assets directly without connecting to the web server even once. Furthermore, the reverse proxy can control compression of these files.

The well-known Nginx web server can also function as a well-known reverse proxy service. While Apache has a reverse proxy option, it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is also able to function with a reverse proxy feature as an additional characteristic of Apache however Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on the reverse proxy feature.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Examples

Since "forward" or "reverse" are associated with directionality, as well as false comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic the labels can be confusing because both types of proxy handle responses and requests. An alternative method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're creating.

A reverse proxy could be beneficial when creating an application that runs web-based applications on the internet. They are your web servers when you interact on the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when 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 of case-based differentiation instead of focusing solely on common naming conventions can aid in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

This article defined the meaning of a proxy using two kinds of proxy: the forward one and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of beneficial features were utilized to differentiate between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about how to implement proxies you can check out our guide on how you can set up Nginx as a reverse and web server proxy using Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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