The term "proxy" is a reference to a proxy or proxy server. It is an application that acts acting as a mediator between server and client on the internet. Without the proxy, a client would make a request to any source direct to a server, and it would then serve the resource directly to the user. This is not difficult to comprehend and implement, adding proxies provides advantages that include improved performance, privacy, security as well as many other benefits. As a pass-through layer proxy servers are a way to secure the internet between clients and servers.

The general set of server hardware and the software that is installed to make proxy connections is often called proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers that are typically described in terms of software and ones that work together with web servers. The article will provide an explanation of the two major kinds that are available, which include forward proxy and reverse proxy. forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own specific usage that could be confusing due to the use of overlapping terms.

This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies as well as their subtypes and also their importance in typical configurations. If you read this article, you will be able to identify scenarios in which a reliable proxy could be beneficial, and determine the most suitable choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy, in any scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In other words forward proxy, also referred to as open proxy open proxy is an agent of an individual user trying to make the request online an origin server. In this case, any attempt to send requests made by the client is directed by an forward proxy. In this case, the forward proxy acting in the client's stead will review the request. At first it will decide if clients are authorized make requests via this particular forward proxy. It will then either reject requests or redirect them to their source server. The client does not have direct connection to the internet It is only able to access what forward proxy allows the client to access.

The most popular reason to utilize forward proxies is more privacy or protection online. A forward proxy uses the internet on behalf of the individual client. And during this manner it could use an IP address that is different from the IP of the client.

Depending on the method by which it's set up the forward proxy may provide a variety of capabilities, including the capability of:

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  Beware of ads-trackers.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You will be able to identify any limitations based on your location.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be used in systems to provide central security as well as access based on permissions, such as in the workplace. When all internet traffic goes through an open forward proxy, the administrator may restrict only a small number of users online access which is then filtered by a common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls for clients, that could be utilized by multiple computers with various configurations and users and environments, a firewall can be put in this forward proxy layer.

Remember Forward proxy servers need to be manually setup before they can be utilized and reverse proxies can be ignored by clients. Depending on whether your IP address has been transmitted to the origin server by the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept in the dark.

There are many possibilities to think about for forward proxies.

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  Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server, that provides forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy capability.
  
  
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  Squid is an open source forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer the complete web-based server. Check out our article on the best way to install Squid proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy, which uses the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP this makes it better to handle situations like peer-to-peer connections. You can also research how to set up Dante proxy for connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy acts as an agent for a web server and handles requests made from clients on behalf of the server. This web server can serve as a single server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it can contain an application server like Gunicorn. In any of these situations, the request may come from a user on the internet in general. The request will typically be directed directly to the server on the internet that holds the data the client wants. In contrast, a reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, separating the web server from direct contact with the internet's open.

From the perspective of the user, working using reverse proxy isn't any different than interacting via direct connection to an internet server. It's the same thing but clients aren't able to tell the difference. The client requests a resource and then receives it, without any additional configuration needed from the user.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  Centralized security for web servers.
  
  
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  Incoming traffic is directed according to rules that you can establish.
  
  
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  Additional functions to cache data.
  
  

Although central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxies, reverse proxies provide this benefit to the layer of the webserver, and not the client layer. In lieu of the maintenance of firewalls at the server layer which could comprise several servers that have various configurations, the bulk of firewall security is directed at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, taking the burden of dealing with firewalls and communicating with requests by clients away from web servers allows firewalls to concentrate on providing the required resources.

If there are multiple servers that are running through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy could be also responsible for directing which requests are directed to which servers. Multiple web servers could be operating from the same host, each providing various kinds of resources or a combination of the two. These servers use their HTTP protocol to perform the role of a standard web server. However, they can be equipped with other protocols for application servers like FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy that directs the clients towards specific servers in accordance with the resource being requested or to follow specific rules for the amount of traffic.

Reverse proxies also have the ability to take advantage of their positioning ahead of web servers by using caching capabilities. Large static assets can be configured with caching policy to prevent the web server from being hit with every request, with some solutions that allow you to serve static content directly without having to connect to a website server at all. Additionally reverse proxy is capable of handling compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx web server is also used as an effective reverse proxy option. Even though Apache is a reverse proxy solution however, this Apache website server additionally includes reverse proxy functionality, it is an additional option for Apache however Nginx was designed initially for and specifically focuses on reverse proxy capabilities.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Examples

Because "forward" as well as "reverse" are both associated with an impression of directionality and false comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing, since both types of proxy can manage both requests and responses. The best method to differentiate between both forward and reverse proxy is to take into account the requirements of the app that you're developing.

A reverse proxy could be helpful when you are developing a solution to serve web applications on the internet. They are your web servers for any interaction on the Internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when used in front of customers for your personal use or even in a professional setting. They are your client's representative in all interactions via the internet.

The use case-based differentiation instead of focusing solely on similar naming conventions will assist you in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article describes what a "proxy" is and the two main types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical scenarios for use and a look at beneficial characteristics were used to define different types of proxy: forward and reverse. If you're interested in learning how to make proxies work, check out our guide on how to configure Nginx as an HTTP server and reverse proxy for Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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