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A proxy is also known as a proxy server software that acts to act as a mediator between the server and client on the internet. With no proxy in place, a customer could send a request to an online source directly through a server and the server would serve the requested resource directly back at the requester's. While this approach is straightforward to grasp and implement, adding proxies offers advantages such as increased performance as well as privacy, security and much more. As an additional layer of pass-through, the proxy serves as a guardian for the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the mixture of the server's hardware and installed proxy software is usually referred too as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxies which are generally described as software and in the context of web servers. This article will present a detailed breakdown of two types: forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has its own unique usage situation, and it is frequently misunderstood because of the identical terminology.




This article will give you details about the different types of proxy services, what their subtypes are, and how they work in various configurations. After reading this article, you'll be able to recognize the situations in which the use of proxies is beneficial, and choose the best option for reverse or forward proxy for any particular scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



The forward proxy, sometimes referred to as an open proxy serves as a representative for a user who wishes to send an internet request to an the server which originated it. In this situation, the entire process of sending requests from the user will be transmitted via the forward proxy. A forward proxy, acting as a substitute for the client, will look into the request. Then, it determines whether this user is authorised to transmit requests via this particular forward proxy. It then decides whether to refuse any request or to forward it to the server that originated it. The client is not able to have direct connection to the internet. It is able to access only the information that the forward proxy allows it to access.




A popular use for forward proxies is increased privacy and security when surfing the internet. Forward proxy can access the internet instead of a client and as such it can make use of an IP address that is different from the original IP address of the client.




Based on the way it has been configured, based on the way it is configured, forward proxy may offer you a variety of features based on the configuration it, allowing you to:




Do not be a victim of ad trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


Recognize the restrictions based on your geographical location.




Forward proxies are also used to secure systems that are centralized as well as access that is permission-based, like at a workplace. If all traffic on the internet passes through an open forward proxy the administrator can grant just a handful of users online access filtered through the common firewall. Instead of creating firewalls on the server layer that could include a variety of machines that have different environments and types of users A firewall can be placed on top of this forward proxy layer.




It is important to remember that forward proxy servers must be manually configured for use while reverse proxies will be hidden from the user. Depending on the type the IP address that the user who is transferred to the server that is originally via the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or denied.




There are many options to consider for forward proxy services.




Apache A well-known open source web server that provides forward proxy features.


Nginx is another widely-used open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A free forward proxy using an HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide the complete web server. You can read our article on the best way to set up Squid proxy to connect privately on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is a forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it more suitable for applications such as peer-to-peer traffic. You can also learn how to configure Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy functions as a representative of a web server that handles any requests that come in from clients on behalf of. Web servers can comprise servers, or even multiple servers. It could also be an application-server like Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios the request will originate from the web at large. In most cases your request is transmitted directly to the web server with the information the user is seeking. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary, isolating this webserver from direct communication with the open internet.




From the perspective of the user, the experience of interacting with reverse proxy isn't different than communicating with an internet server direct. It's essentially the same but the client is unable to see the distinction. The client makes a request for the resource, and is then provided with it, without any extra configuration required from the client.




Reverse proxies can provide features such as:




Centralized security on webservers.


The direction of traffic coming in based on rules you set.


New feature added to caching.




While central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxy servers offer this feature only to that layer on the webserver and not to those who are on the client side. Instead of maintaining firewalls on webserver level, that could include multiple servers and various configurations, the majority protection of firewalls is targeted at the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the responsibility of interacting with a firewall and responding to requests from clients off of web servers enables them to concentrate on the needs of their customers.




In the case of multiple servers operating with reverse-proxies, the reverse proxy can also handle the direction that requests are directed towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers running within the same system, providing different types of resources or a mix of both. They can utilize the HTTP protocol just like a conventional web server, however they may also be able to be equipped with protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. It is possible to set up a reverse proxy that directs users to a specific servers based on the services you request, or to certain rules regarding the traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their placement on top of web servers as they offer the ability to cache. Massive static files can be created by using caching rules in order to avoid needing to connect with web servers every time. Certain software solutions let you directly serve static files without having to communicate with the webserver at all. Additionally, the reverse proxy is capable of handling the compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server is also used as a highly regarded reverse proxy option. While Apache is also a reverse proxy service, the Apache web server does have reverse proxy features however, it's an additional feature that is available to Apache as opposed to Nginx was designed initially to and focuses on the reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use



Because "forward" or "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality, and inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic the names could be confusing because both types of proxy services handle both requests and replies. The best method to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy providers is to take into account the requirements of the app that you are developing.




Reverse proxy can be useful when you are developing a solution that can deliver web-based apps over the internet. They serve as your web servers in any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy is helpful when they are displayed in front of users either for personal use, or even in the workplace. They represent the traffic of your client whenever you interact on the internet.




The practice of separating by use case instead of just focusing on the most standard naming conventions can help ensure that you aren't confused.



Conclusion



This article will explain the significance of a proxy, focusing on the two primary types, which are the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of use and an overview of advantageous features were used to differentiate forward proxies and reverse proxy. If you're looking to know more about the advantages of proxies, then you can read our guide on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy within Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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