The term "proxy" refers to a proxy is also referred to as proxy server software that acts to act as an intermediary between a client and server on the internet. Without an intermediary the client would an attempt to request the resource directly to the server and the server would serve the resource directly back at the request of the customer. Although this is a simple process to understand and apply using proxies, it can provide benefits like increased speed, privacy and security, and many more. Apart from providing a layer of security they also act as a security guardian of the internet between clients and servers.




The bundled package of server hardware that includes proxy software is often referred as proxy servers. However, this article will focus on the proxies that are typically referred to as software and in the context of web servers. This article will give a synopsis of the two primary types: one is forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own usage, which can be confusing due to the similar name-based convention.




This article will equip you with the knowledge of the different types of proxy services, their subtypes, and ways in which they can be beneficial for the most common setups. In this article, you'll be able to discern the scenarios that you can gain from a proxy. You can also choose the right solution between reverse and forward proxy, in any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also referred to by the name of an open proxy serves as the agent of a client who wishes to send requests via the internet to an the server that created it. In this case, it's the case that all requests from the client are instead sent directly to forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in place of the client, will examine into the request. At first, it will decide whether the client is authorized to submit requests through this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either reject requests or redirect it to the origin server. The client will not be capable of having directly access to internet; it can only be able to access the details that the forward proxy permits the client to access.




One popular reason to use forward proxy is to provide more privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy is able to access the internet as the client, and in this way, it is using another IP address, in contrast to your client's IP address.




Depending on how it's been configured, based on how it is configured forward proxy could offer a range of functions and the capability to:




Beware of ad-tracker.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can spot limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies are also used in systems of centralized security and access that is dependent on permissions, for example at work. If all internet traffic flows by an open forward proxy an administrator could limit access to specific clients to the internet through an common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls for the client layer, which can include multiple machines that have different configurations and user, a firewall can be installed at the forward proxy layer.




Remember that forward proxies need to be manually set up to work the reverse proxy, while forward proxies may go unnoticed by the client. Based on the type of IP address a client is transferred to the origin server through forward proxy privacy and anonymity might be granted or not.




There are a myriad of options to investigate for forward proxies:




Apache The Apache is a popular open-source web server that offers forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx A renowned open-source webserver with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A free and open-source forward proxy using the HTTP protocol. Squid doesn't come with a complete website server program. It is possible to refer to our instructions for setting up Squid proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward Proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol in place of HTTP and is better suited for certain scenarios such as with peer-to-peer traffic. You could also find out how to set up Dante proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves in the capacity of an agent to a web server. It takes care of incoming requests from clients on its behalf. The web server could serve as a one server or a number of servers. Additionally, it can be used as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations it is possible to receive a request from a user on the internet generally. In most cases the request will be directed directly to a web server that holds all the resources that the user is seeking. In contrast, a reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, protecting the webserver from direct contact with the internet.




From the perspective of an individual or user's point of view reverse proxy's process reverse proxy is not much different from working with the Web server itself. It's functionally the same however the client can't tell the distinction. The client makes an request for an item, and it is then followed by the receipt of it, with no additional configuration needed by the client.




Reverse proxy proxies may offer features, like:




Centralized security for the web server layer.


Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you can set up.


The caching feature is now available to users.




While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy solutions, reverse proxies give this benefit only to Web layer servers and not to the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls on Web server layers that could include multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, the absence of interfacing with firewalls and responding to requests made by clients through web servers enables them to focus on providing resources.




In the event of multiple servers working through a reverse proxy, it also controls how requests are routed to which server. There are many web servers providing the exact identical service, but each one serving different types of resources, or some combination of both. These servers may use an HTTP protocol to perform the role of an ordinary web server but they can also incorporate protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy servers to direct users to specific servers according to the resource requested, or to observe specific rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies can also benefit from their placement in front of web servers by virtue of caching. Massive static resources can be arranged using caching rules in order that they don't have to communicate with web servers for every request. There are solutions providing the option to directly serve static assets without having to connect to a web server in any way. Additionally, the reverse proxy can handle compressing these assets.




The popular Nginx webserver is a reliable reverse proxy solution. While you can use it, the Apache web server, it also includes reverse proxy, which is an additional function of Apache in contrast to Nginx was initially designed for and concentrates on reverse proxy functionality.



The distinction between Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use. Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Use



Because "forward" or "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the labels can be confusing because both kinds of proxy services can handle requests as well as responses. A better approach to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the requirements of the application that you are developing.




Reverse proxy can be useful in the development of solutions to run web applications on the internet. They are your web servers for all interactions on the web.




Forward proxy software is useful when they are employed in front of clients for personal use, or in a work setting. They are a representation of your client's traffic for any interaction on the internet.




Utilizing case-based differentiation instead of focusing on common naming conventions can aid in avoiding confusion.



Conclusion



In this article, we clarified the meaning of a proxy and the two primary types of them being the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a look at the beneficial traits were used for the definition of forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about implementation of proxies check out our guide on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy for Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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