A proxy, also called a proxy server. It is piece of software which acts as an intermediary for client and server on the internet. Without the proxy, a user will send a request to resources directly to a server and it would then serve the resource directly back to the user. While this is a simple method to grasp and implement however, adding proxy servers can bring advantages such as increased efficiency and privacy, security and a host of other benefits. In addition to providing pass-through the proxy functions as a guardian to the internet between servers and clients.

Generally speaking, the bundled system of server hardware and installed proxy software is frequently described as proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers that are typically classified as software, as well as in relation to web servers. There will be a discussion of the two major types of proxies, the other being a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has its own specific application, and is frequently confused because of the similar namesake convention.

This article will provide you with an idea of the what proxies and subtypes are in terms of their value for common setups. After reading the article carefully, you'll be able understand the situations when using proxies can be beneficial, and you can then select the best option between forward proxy and reverse proxy based on the situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also referred to in the context of an open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wishes to send an internet request to an the server that made it. In this case every attempt to send requests from the client's end will instead be routed to the forward proxy. Forward proxy in place of the client will examine the request. First, it will find out if the client is allowed to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request, or redirect it to its origin server. The client doesn't have a an internet connection directly; it can only reach what forward proxy permits it to access.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxies is to increase privacy or security when surfing the web. A forward proxy accesses the internet as clients, and as such it may utilize an IP address different from the IP address of the client.

Based on the way it's configured the forward proxy will give you a range of options as well as the ability to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Find restrictions that are based on the location you are in.
  
  

Forward proxies also are used in systems that provide centralized security as well as access based on permissions, such as at work. All internet traffic can pass through a common forward proxy and administrators are capable of allowing only certain clients access to the internet via a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in place to protect the client layer which can involve many machines with different settings, users and environments A firewall could be installed in an forward proxy layer.

It is important to remember the forward proxy configurations must be set up manually to permit the use of these proxy servers in order to be used, while reverse proxy servers are unable to be detected by the user. Based on whether or not an IP address belonging to a user is transmitted to the server from which it originated through the forward proxy, the privacy and security can be granted or kept in the dark.

There are many alternatives to take into consideration when considering forward proxy choices:

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  Apache An open source well-known web server that has forward proxy features.
  
  
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  Nginx A renowned open-source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid is a free forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not the entire Web Server System. It is possible to refer to our guide on the best method of configuring Squid proxy to allow secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it better suited to scenarios like peer-to -peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to configure Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy functions as an intermediary for web servers, and is able to handle requests from customers for the web server. The web server may serve as a one server or as a series of servers. Additionally, it can function as an app server such as Gunicorn. In all cases, an application request is made from a user via the internet at large. Most of the time, the request will go directly to the web server that hosts what the client is searching for. The reverse proxy acts as an intermediary in order to block your web server from contact to the open internet.

From a consumer's point of perspective, using reverse proxy isn't different from communicating with the web server directly. It's functionally the same but the client cannot tell the difference. Client requests an item and gets it with no additional configuration needed by the client.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The server for the web is secure centrally.
  
  
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  Directing traffic according to the rules you establish.
  
  
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  Added functionality for caching.
  
  

While central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this function only for just the Web server layer but not to the client layer. instead of the maintenance of firewalls for Web server layers that may comprise multiple servers that have different configurations, the majority protection of the firewall is aimed to the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, taking the responsibility of connecting to firewalls and interfacing with clients' requests off of web servers allows them to focus on serving resources.

In the case of multiple servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also accountable for deciding which requests are routed to which server. There could be multiple web servers that are running from the same host, each serving different kinds of resources or a mix of the two. These servers could use the HTTP protocol like a traditional web server. They can also include protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers depending on the service being requested or to adhere to certain rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies can also take advantage of their placement over web servers with the help of caching. Massive static resources can be configured using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit with each request, with some options even allowing users to upload static files in a direct manner without linking with the server. Additionally, reverse proxy is able to handle compression of these files.

The well-known Nginx web server has become a well-known reverse proxy solution. Although the Apache web server comes equipped with reverse proxy feature as an additional function which is accessible for Apache whereas Nginx was designed initially for and is specifically focused on the reverse proxy function.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations

Since "forward" along with "reverse" are both associated with a sense of directionality as well as inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic These labels can be confusing, since both types of proxy servers can be used to respond to requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy servers would be to study the needs of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is a useful tool to use when creating a solution for serving web applications on the internet. They are your web servers when you interact with the Internet.

A forward proxy is useful to use when you are facing clients for personal use or even in a work environment. They represent your client traffic when you interact with the internet.

A distinction based on usage rather than looking at the common name conventions can aid you in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

The article described what a proxy is along with two types being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of its use and a discussion of most beneficial features was used to distinguish forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning the ways to use proxies, we suggest you go through our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy using Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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