A proxy also referred to an application called a proxy server that serves as an intermediary between a client and server over the internet. Without the need for proxy servers, users could submit a request to resources directly to a server and servers would provide the requested resource directly to the user. While this is a simple process to grasp and use the addition of proxy servers could provide benefits like improved performance, privacy, security, and much more. As an additional pass-through layer proxy servers are a way to secure the internet between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the bundled package of server hardware with installed proxy software is often referred as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers which are usually regarded as software, as well as when referring to web servers. The article will offer details of the two primary kinds that are forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a distinct application, and is frequently confused because of the resemblance to the namesake convention.

This article will give you an idea of different types of proxy services and what their subtypes are, as well as how they are useful for common setups. After reading in this post, you'll be able discern the scenarios where it's advantageous to use proxy services and make the best option between forward and reverse proxy in any circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy also referred to in the context of an open proxy serves as the agent of the client, trying to send an online request to the server which made it. In this situation, all attempts to send requests made by the user will instead be directed direct through the forward proxy. In this case the forward proxy acting instead of the client will scrutinize the request. It will first determine whether this client is able to send requests through this particular forward proxy. Then, it can either deny requests or redirect them to the original server. The client isn't capable of having directly access to internet. It can access only what forward proxy allows it to connect to.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxy services is to increase privacy or anonymity on the internet. A forward proxy utilizes the internet to replace an individual client and in this way, it may make use of an alternative IP address to the original IP address that is used by the client.

Depending on the method by which it's set up the forward proxy will provide a variety of functions and allow you to:

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  Beware of ads that track you.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Establish restrictions based upon the place of residence.
  
  

Forward proxies may also be employed in systems that offer centralized security and access that is based on permissions, for instance at work. If all traffic on the internet flows through an open front proxy, an administrator can allow only a small number of clients online access via an common firewall. Instead of having firewalls set up at the client layer that could include a variety of machines that have different settings and users it is possible to have a firewall set up at the front proxy layer.

Note that forward proxies need to be set up manually in order to permit the use of these proxies, whereas reverse proxies can be ignored by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of the client is sent to the source server via the forward proxy security and privacy can be granted or left transparent.

There are many alternatives to look into for forward proxies.

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  Apache is an incredibly well-known open source web server that provides forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx is another widely-used open-source webserver that includes forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: An Open Source Forward Proxy that uses it's HTTP protocol. It does not come with an the entire Web server software. We have a tutorial on how to use Squid proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante: a forward proxy that operates the SOCKS protocol in place of HTTP to make it better to work in situations like peer-to-peer connections. You may also want to know how to build an Dante proxy that allows private connections to Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as an agent for a web server that handles the incoming requests of clients on behalf. This web server may include one server or several servers. It could also function as an app server like Gunicorn. In all of these scenarios a request could come from a user via the internet at large. The majority of the time, this request is sent directly to the web server that hosts the information the client is seeking. Reverse proxy is a intermediary to shield Web servers and prevent direct communication with the web's public.

From a consumer's point of view from a client's perspective using a reverse proxy is no the same as working with a web servers in direct contact. It's basically the same thing, however the client can't tell the distinction. Client makes request for the resource and it then gets it, with no additional configuration needed from the user.

Reverse proxies provide features like:

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  A centralized layer of security to protect the server.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic coming inbound on rules you can configure.
  
  
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  New functionality added for caching.
  
  

Although central security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature to that layer of the webserver and not to the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls at the server level which may comprise multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is placed on the reverse proxy layer. Also, the removal of the responsibility of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with client requests via web servers enables the firewall to focus on supplying resources.

If there are multiple servers in a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also determines which requests are directed to which server. There could be multiple web servers that provide the same content, offering various kinds of services, or a mixture of both. They could use the HTTP protocol in the same way as the traditional web server. However, they can also be equipped with protocol for application servers like FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy servers to route visitors to a particular server based on the service requested or to comply with certain rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies also benefit from their position before web servers by providing the ability to cache data. Massive static resources can be set up using caching rules to prevent having to call web servers for every request, with some solutions allowing you to serve static files directly without having to contact the web server for even one time. In addition the reverse proxy can handle compression on these resources.

The renowned Nginx web server also functions as an effective reverse proxy option. However, Apache has a reverse proxy option, it is a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is also equipped with a reverse proxy option as an additional feature for Apache unlike Nginx was originally designed to and focuses on reverse proxy features.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use-cases

Due to the fact that "forward" and "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality and misleading comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic These labels can be confusing since both types of proxies deal with the process of responding to requests. The most effective way to differentiate between forward and reverse proxies is to examine the requirements of the app you're developing.

Reverse proxy can be a valuable tool to use when developing a solution to serve web-based applications over the internet. They act as your web servers when you connect to the internet.

A forward proxy is helpful when it is displayed before clients for personal use and in professional environment. They represent your client's web traffic during any interaction on the internet.

Separating by use case, instead of using the same names will help in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article explains the meaning of a proxy with two kinds: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical application scenarios as well as an exploration of beneficial attributes were used to distinguish forward proxies as well as reverse proxies. If you're interested in exploring the implementation of proxies, you can learn how to set up Nginx to act as an Internet server as well as reverse proxy to Apache in the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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