The word "proxy" is a reference to a proxy also referred to a proxy server a server software that serves in the role of an intermediary client and a server on the internet. Without proxy servers, users would make a request resources direct to the server while the server will then provide the resource directly back at the requester's expense. While this approach is straightforward to grasp and use but adding proxies offers advantages such as enhanced performance, privacy, security, and many more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy acts as a security layer for the internet between servers and clients.




In general, the system of server hardware coupled with the installed proxy software is also often referred too as a proxy server. This article will focus on proxies which are generally thought of as software, and specifically in relation with web server. This article will give a description of two types that are available, including a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use case, often confused because of the similar terminology.




This article will give you the information on what proxies are and what their subtypes are and how they work in a variety of configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to identify situations in which a proxy is beneficial, and select the best option between forward and reverse proxy in any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy, often referred to as an open proxy, serves as an intermediary for a client trying to make a connection via the internet to an source server. In this situation the entire process of sending requests by the user is instead sent via the forward proxy. Forward proxy that acts on behalf that of the user, would examine at the request. In the beginning, it will determine if the client is able to handle requests through this specific forward proxy. It will then reject requests or redirect them to the original server. The client isn't able to have direct access to the internet. It has access to only what the forward proxy permits the client to connect.




The most common reason for using forward proxy services is to obtain more privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as a client, and in that process it may use an alternative IP address to that of the client's initial IP address.




Based on the way it has been set up according to the method of configuration, a forward proxy could offer a wide range of options and let you:




Do not click on ads that track you.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions based on your geolocation.




Forward proxies can also be used in systems of centralized security and permission-based access like in workplaces. If all traffic on the internet flows via an open forward proxy, administrators are able to grant access to only a few individuals to access the web, and this is filtered by an common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on the layer of clients that could be used by multiple computers with different configurations and environments, a firewall could be added to the layer that forwards proxy traffic.




It is important to remember that forward proxies need to be manually configured for use and reverse proxies could go unnoticed by the client. Depending on the type of the IP address that a user is sent to the server from where it originated by the forward proxy, anonymity and privacy could be granted or not.




There are many options to think about for forward proxy:




Apache An open-source, well-known web server, that can provide forward proxy features.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy features.


Squid is an open-source forward proxy based on the HTTP protocol. It's not the full Web Server System. You can refer to our step-by-step instructions to installing Squid proxy to enable private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP this is more appropriate for situations such as peer-topeer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to set up a Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary between a web server that handles incoming requests from customers on behalf of the server. This web server can serve as a one server, or as a series of servers. Furthermore, it could be used for application servers such as Gunicorn. In any event the request will be made through the internet in general. Typically the request will be sent directly to the web server and include the information the user is looking for. Reverse proxy, however, functions as an intermediary, protecting the web server from direct contact via the web's public.




From the consumer's point perception, the experience with reverse proxy isn't any different than working with the server by itself. It's exactly the same but the client isn't able to tell the distinction. Clients can request the resource and is then provided with it, with no additional configuration required on the part of the client.




Reverse proxy providers offer services such as:




Centralized security for the web server layer.


Traffic coming into your site is routed by rules you have set.


The caching feature was added to the application.




While central security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse proxy providers this feature to the web server layer, but not the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls on Web server layers, which could include several servers that have various configurations, the majority of the firewall security is concentrated at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally eliminating the burden of interacting with firewalls and interacting with requests from customers outside of web servers permits them to focus on delivering the needs of their customers.




If there are multiple servers running through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy takes care of directing which requests go to which server. There may be several web servers that provide the same service, each offering various kinds of resources or a combination of both. These servers could be running the HTTP protocol, which is a standard web server. However, they can also be using application server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to configure a reverse proxy to direct visitors to specific server depending on the service being requested, or to follow specific guidelines for traffic load.




Reverse proxies are also able to benefit from their positioning before web servers, by providing the ability to cache information. The large static files can be set using caching rules, so that they avoid websites from being hit every time a request is made. Certain solutions allow you to upload static files directly, and without having to connect with the server. Furthermore the reverse proxy can be able to handle compression of these files.




The well-known Nginx web server can also be an effective reverse proxy option. You can also use Nginx, the Apache web server has reverse proxy capabilities but it's an additional option to Apache however Nginx was designed originally for and is specifically focused on reverse proxy capabilities.



Distinguishing Between Forward and Reverse Proxy Cases



Since "forward" as well as "reverse" are associated with directionality, as well as false connections with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can be confusing since both kinds of proxy are able to handle requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxies is to examine the specifications of the application that you are creating.




Reverse proxy could be beneficial when designing an infrastructure to support web applications on the internet. They serve as your web servers for all interactions over the internet.




Forward proxy is useful when it is placed in front of customers for personal use, or in a corporate environment. They represent the client's information whenever you interact on the internet.




The ability to differentiate by the use of case instead of focusing on the common naming conventions can assist you in avoidance of confusion.



Conclusion



The article explained the purpose of a proxy with two types: reverse proxy and forward proxy. Examples of practical use as well as an examination of beneficial features were used to define the two kinds of proxy: forward and reverse. If you're interested to learn more about the advantages of proxies then we recommend that you go through our guide on how to install Nginx for use as a web server and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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