An proxy or proxy server is a software that sits in the middle between client and server on the internet. Without proxy, a user would send a request for resources directly the server, and the server would provide the requested resource directly to the user. While this is a simple method to comprehend and utilize, adding proxies offers advantages, such as greater performance, privacy, security, among other things. In addition to being able to pass through, proxies function as a safeguard for the internet, separating servers and clients.

The bundled combination of server hardware and the software for proxy installation is commonly referred to as proxy servers. But, this article will focus on proxy servers that are typically described in terms of software as well as those that are used in conjunction with web servers. This article will provide a brief overview of the two primary types of proxies, they are forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Each has its own usage which may be confusing due to the same terminology.

This article will give you an understanding of types of proxies and subtypes they are, as well as their value in a variety of configurations. By reading in this post, you'll understand how to identify the scenarios where proxies are useful, and choose the best option for forward proxy or reverse proxy based on the specific situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known as open proxy. An open proxy is a proxy for a client that is trying to make an online request to a source server. In this situation the entire attempt to send requests from the client will be controlled by the forward proxy. A forward-proxy, in lieu of the user will examine the request. The first step is to determine whether the client has been authorized to transmit requests using this particular forward proxy. It then will reject a demand and then forward the request to an origin server. The client does not have direct access to the internet. It is able to access only what the forward proxy permits the client to connect.

A common use case of forward proxies is to provide greater privacy or security online. A forward proxy is connected to the internet instead of a client and as a result, it uses an alternate IP address to the client's original IP address.

Based on how it was configured according to the configuration, a forward proxy could offer a variety of features depending on how it is configured, which allows you to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Find out the restrictions that apply to your area.
  
  

Forward proxies are also utilized in systems that use centralized security and dependent access, such as, in workplaces. If all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy layer, an administrator can restrict access to a specific user group to the internet by a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls in place for the client layer which may comprise several devices with diverse environments and users, there is the possibility to have an firewall that is located in the front proxy layer.

It is important to remember that forward proxy servers need to be manually set up to be utilized, whereas reverse proxy servers are often not noticed by clients. Based on the type of IP address the client is passed on to the server that created it via the forward proxy privacy and security is granted or left secret.

There are many options to be considered for forward proxies:

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  Apache The most well-known open source web server that provides forward proxy capability.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open-source web server, which has forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: An open-source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer an entire web server application. It is possible to read our guide on how to configure Squid proxy to permit private connections with Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead HTTP which makes it more suited to use in instances such as peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to setup the Dante proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy is a representative of a web server, which handles any requests made by clients on behalf of. Web servers can consist of a single server, or a number of servers. Additionally, it could be an application server, such as Gunicorn. In both cases, the request comes from users on the internet generally. Most of the time, your request is transmitted directly to the server, which is equipped with all the resources the client is needs. However reverse proxy functions as an intermediary that isolates Web server from direct interaction with the internet.

From a consumer's point of the consumer's perspective, working with reverse proxy is not different than interacting with an online server direct. It's the same thing however the user cannot discern the distinction. The client requests this resource and it receives it without additional configuration needed to be done by the customer.

Reverse proxies can provide features such as:

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  A central layer of security to guard the server.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you create.
  
  
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  A new feature for caching is now available.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxies do this only to the server layer and not to the layer that clients use. Instead of establishing firewalls on Web server layers which can comprise multiple servers and different configurations, the bulk of security for firewalls is focused on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, the ease of interacting with a firewall and communicating with clients that are not web servers allows the firewall to concentrate on delivering the needs of their clients.

In the event of multiple servers running within reverse proxy, it manages controlling which requests go towards which servers. There are many web servers working on the same server, providing different types of resources or a combination of both. They use the HTTP protocol just like a conventional web server. However, they could also be equipped with application server protocols such as FastCGI. You can configure reverse proxy servers to guide the clients to specific servers depending on the type of resource they're searching for, or follow certain rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies are also able to benefit from their positioning ahead of web servers by providing caching functionality. Large static assets are able to be configured with caching rules, so that you do not need to connect with web servers on every request. Certain software solutions allow you to serve static assets directly without having to contact the web server even once. In addition, the reverse proxy can manage compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server can also function as a powerful reverse proxy service. It is true that the Apache webserver is also outfitted with a reverse proxy which can be used in conjunction with Apache but Nginx was initially designed to and is primarily focused on the reverse proxy feature.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Examples

Because "forward" as well as "reverse" have connotations of directionality as well as misleading comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic. It can be confusing since both types of proxies process requests and response. An alternative approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy service is to consider the requirements of the application that you're developing.

A reverse proxy is useful in the case of developing a solution to offer web-based services via the internet. They serve as your servers for any interaction with the Internet.

Forward proxy software is useful when they are put in front of a client for personal use or in a professional environment. They represent your customers when you connect to the internet.

A case-based distinction instead of focusing solely on commonly used naming conventions can help in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article clarified what a proxy is with two kinds: forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical applications as well as an exploration of the benefits were used to differentiate between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested in exploring the use of proxy servers we recommend you read our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy using Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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