proxy, also known as a proxy is also known as a proxy server software that sits acting as an intermediary between a client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a user can send a request for a source directly through the server, and then the server would provide an item directly for the requester. Although this method is easy to understand and use, however, the addition of proxy servers could provide advantages in terms of more performance, privacy, security, and many more. In addition to providing a layer of security it also serves as a security guard to the internet, separating clients and servers.




In general, the combination of server hardware and an installed software proxy is also often referred as proxy servers. For this post, we will concentrate on proxies that are typically classified as software and within connection with web server. The article will give a detailed breakdown of the two main types of proxies. These are an forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type of proxy has its own unique usage scenario that is often not understood due to the common naming convention.




This article will provide you with the knowledge of what proxy servers and their subtypes are, and how they can be beneficial in a variety of configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to discern the scenarios where it is beneficial to use a proxy and decide on the appropriate option between reverse and forward proxy for any particular scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy also referred to as the open proxy acts as an agent for a user trying to connect via the internet to an source server. In this situation, any attempt to send a request by the client will be routed through an forward proxy. This forward proxy in the client's stead, will examine the request. It will first determine whether the client has been granted permission to receive requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then either deny requests or redirect them to the source server. It isn't able to directly connect directly to internet. It is only able to access the information forward proxy allows it to access.




A typical use of forward proxy is the need for greater privacy or security when surfing the web. Forward proxy connects to web as a user and in this manner, it connects an alternative IP address to your client's IP address.




Depending on how it has been configured according to the configuration, a forward proxy could offer a range of features which allow users to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can identify restrictions based upon your geolocation.




Forward proxies are also used in systems to provide central security as well as access permissions, for instance in a workplace. The entire internet can go through an open forward proxy. administrators can restrict access to specific people to connect on the internet, which is then filtered by the standard firewall. Instead of having firewalls at the client layer, which could be used by several computer systems with different settings and users A firewall can be found at this forward proxy layer.




It is important to know that forward proxies must be set up manually for their use, however reverse proxies won't be noticed by users. Based on the fact that the IP address of a user is sent to the origin server by the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity can be granted or hidden.




There are a variety of possibilities to think about when considering forward proxies.




Apache: A popular open-source web server, which offers forward proxy functions.


Nginx is another well-known open-source web server that comes with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is an Open Source Forward Proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not part of the whole web server. There is a step-bystep guide to setup Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead HTTP, making it better suited for cases like peer-to-peer connections. You could also examine the steps to install an Dante proxy that allows private connections to Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy is an intermediary to a web server that handles incoming requests from clients in its place. The server could function as a single server or as a set of servers. Furthermore, it could comprise an application server, like Gunicorn. In any event, it's possible to get the request of a customer via the web at large. In most cases the request will be directed directly to the web server hosting the data the client is asking for. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to isolate your web server from communication with the internet's users.




From the point of view that is a user's viewpoint, interfacing with reverse proxy isn't different from connecting to the server by itself. It's basically the same as the web server, and the user is unable discern the difference. The client can make a request for the resource and it is then provided with it, without any further configuration from the user.




Reverse proxies grant features like:




Security centralized to web server.


The direction of traffic that is incoming by using rules that you make.


The caching functionality was added to the application.




Although centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse-proxies perform this function to servers on the internet, but not the client layer. instead of having firewalls installed on the layer of web servers which might include multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority of firewall security is concentrated at that layer called reverse proxy. In addition, the absence of interfacing with a firewall and interfacing with requests from clients who do not have web servers lets them focus on meeting the requirements of their customers.




If there are multiple servers hosted by a reverse proxy the reverse proxy determines the requests towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers providing the exact identical service, however each providing different types of resources, or some combination of both. They can utilize the HTTP protocol similarly to traditional web servers however, they could also be outfitted with application server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy servers to redirect users to specific servers depending on the requested resource or to adhere to certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxy solutions can benefit from placing them on top of web servers through the caching feature. Large static assets can be set up by caching rules to ensure that web servers are not hit with every request. Some solutions even allowing you to serve static content directly without connecting to a web server at all. Furthermore the reverse proxy can be used to handle compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server can also function as a popular reverse proxy solution. It is real that Apache web server has a reverse proxy features but it's an alternative option for Apache as opposed to Nginx was initially designed focus on reverse proxy functionality.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations



Because "forward" and "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality, they can lead to false comparisons to "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic. The labels can confuse because both types of proxies manage the flow of requests as well as responses. The best way to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy services is to take into account the needs of the app you're building.




Reverse proxy is a crucial element when designing an infrastructure to connect web-based applications on the internet. They are your web servers during any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy applications are beneficial when it is placed in front of clients for personal use or even in a working environment. They are a representation of the client's activity as you interact on the internet.




The use case-based distinction instead of focusing only on naming conventions that are commonplace will help you not become confused.



Conclusion



This article defined what is a "proxy" is, with the two most common types of them being the reverse and forward proxies. Practical applications as well as a summary of the beneficial features was utilized to distinguish between forward proxy as well as reverse proxy. If you're considering how to implement proxies you should follow our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as web server and reverse proxy to Apache on Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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