The term "proxy" is a reference to a proxy or proxy server. A proxy server is software that acts acting as a mediator between client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a user would send a request for any source directly to the server, and it would serve the resource directly back to the user. It's not hard to comprehend and implement, the addition of proxies offers advantages in the form of increased performance, privacy, security, and much more. As a pass-through layer proxies act as a gatekeeper on the internet between clients and servers.




The general set of server hardware and installed proxy software is also often described as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers which are generally described as software, as well as those that are used together with web servers. This article will give an explanation of the two major kinds, namely the forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own specific usage that could be confusing due to the overlapping terminology.




This article will provide an idea of the nature of proxies and their subtypes and also their significance in normal configurations. After reading this article, you will be able to identify scenarios where a reliable proxy could be useful, and choose the most suitable choice between forward and reverse proxy, in any scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Also, a forward proxy sometimes known as or an open proxy is an agent of a user who is trying to send requests online to an server. In this scenario, every attempt to send requests made by the user will be directed by an forward proxy. In this situation the forward proxy, acting on behalf of the client, will look into the request. In the beginning it will determine if clients are authorized send requests to this particular forward proxy. It will then either refuse requests or redirect it to its origin server. The client doesn't have a an internet connection directly and is only able to access what the forward proxy allows the client to access.




The most popular reason for using forward proxy servers is more privacy or protection on the internet. Forward proxy accesses the internet for the individual client. And during this manner it can use an IP address different from the original IP address of the user.




Depending on how it's been configured the forward proxy may perform a variety of features and the capability of:




Beware of ad-tracker.


Circumvent surveillance.


You will be able to identify any limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies also are used in systems to provide central security and permission-based access, for example at work. When all traffic on the internet flows through the common forward proxy layer, administrators can allow only a handful of clients access to the internet which is then filtered by a common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls for this layer that can be used by multiple computer with various configurations and users and environments, a firewall can be put in this forward proxy layer.




Keep in mind the fact that forward proxy servers have to be manually setup before they can be utilized while reverse proxy servers could be disregarded by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of the client is 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 when it comes to forward proxy options.




Apache The Apache is a well-known open-source web server which provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx: Another renowned open-source web server that has forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is an open source forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer the complete Web server platform. Check out our guide on the best way to install Squid proxy for private connections for Ubuntu 20.04. Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy that runs on the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more suited for scenarios such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to look into how to set up Dante proxy for secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as an agent for a web server. It takes care of incoming requests by clients on its behalf. This web server can serve as a single server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it can comprise an application server, such as Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios the request might originate from a user on the internet at large. Typically, the request will be directed directly to the server on the internet that holds the data the client is asking for. In contrast, a reverse proxy is a intermediary that isolates the web server from direct communication with the open internet.




From the point of view of the user, working using reverse proxy isn't any different from interacting via direct connection to an internet server. It's the same, however the client can't discern the difference. The client makes a request for an item and receives it, with no additional configuration needed for the customer.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




Security centralized for web servers.


Incoming traffic is directed according to rules that you can set up.


Additional functionality to cache data.




While central security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature only to the layer of the webserver, and not to the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls at the server level which may include multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority of firewall security can be directed at the reverse proxy layer. In addition, removing the responsibility of communicating with firewalls as well as communicating requests by clients away from web servers allows the firewall to focus on providing resources.




If there are multiple servers operating in a reverse proxy the reverse proxy could also be responsible for directing what requests are directed to which servers. There could be multiple web servers running on the same server, each serving different types of resources or a mix of both. These servers utilize an HTTP protocol to perform the role of a standard web server. They can also be equipped with applications server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers based on the resource being requested, or to adhere to certain rules regarding the traffic load.




Reverse proxies are also able to take advantage of their positioning before web servers through caching capabilities. Massive static resources can be configured with caching policy to prevent hitting web servers every request, with some solutions that allow you to serve static content directly, without having to connect to a web server in any way. In addition the reverse proxy is capable of handling compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server can also function as a reliable reverse proxy solution. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy solution however, it is not the only one. Apache website server additionally comes with reverse proxy functionality, it is an additional option for Apache and Nginx was designed initially for and focuses on reverse proxy capabilities.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases



Because "forward" as well as "reverse" are both associated with an impression of directionality and false comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic the labels can be confusing as both types of proxies are able to handle requests as well as responses. The best method of separating the reverse as well as forward proxy is to take into account the needs of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy could be useful when you are creating an option to host web applications on the internet. They act as your web server in any interactions through the Internet.




Forward proxy can be useful when used in front of customers for your personal use or even in a business setting. They act as a representative of your customers in any interactions on the internet.




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



Conclusion



This article explains what is a "proxy" is with the two types that are the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical scenarios for its use and a look at advantageous characteristics were used to define between two kinds of proxies that are reverse and forward. If you're looking for ways to make proxies work, read our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an HTTP server and reverse proxy for Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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