A proxy also referred to the software that acts as an intermediary between a client and server via the internet. Without the use of proxy servers, users could send a request to resources directly to a server and servers would provide direct to users. While this is a simple process to grasp and use the addition of proxy servers could provide benefits like improved performance, privacy, security, and more. As an additional pass-through layer, proxies are a way to secure the internet between servers and clients.

In general, the integrated package of server hardware with the software for proxy installation is typically called proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers which are usually regarded as software as when referring to web servers. The article will provide details of the two main types, namely which are a forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Each type has a distinct application, and is frequently confused due to the identical namesake convention.

This article will provide an understanding of different types of proxy services and what their subtypes are, as well as the ways they can be helpful for setups that are common. After reading in this post, you'll be able discern the scenarios where it's advantageous to use the proxy service and determine the best option between forward and reverse proxy, in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy also referred to by the name of an open proxy acts as the agent of the client, trying to make an internet-based request to the server that originated it. In this case the attempts to make requests by the user will be directed directly to the forward proxy. In this situation the forward proxy acting in the client's stead, will review the request. It will first decide if this client is able to make requests via this specific forward proxy. Then, it can either deny requests or redirect them to the server it originated from. The client isn't able to have directly access to internet. It is only able to access what the forward proxy permits for it to link to.

The primary reason for people to make use of forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or anonymity on the internet. A forward proxy utilizes the internet in lieu of an individual client, and in this way it can make use of an alternative IP address that is different from the original IP address of the client.

Depending on how it's been configured, forward proxy may offer a range of features and allow you to:

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  Beware of ads that track you.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Establish restrictions based upon the your location.
  
  

Forward proxies may also be used in systems that provide centralized security and access that is based on permissions, such as at work. If all internet traffic is routed through a common forward proxy layer, the administrator can allow only a small number of clients connection to internet using an ordinary firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls at the client layer that could include a variety of machines with varying settings and users there is a way to put an firewall installed on the front proxy layer.

Take note that forward proxies must be manually set up in order to permit the use of these proxies while reverse proxies may be ignored by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of the client is passed to the original server through the forward proxy, privacy and security can be granted or left transparent.

There are many alternatives to look into for forward proxies.

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  Apache is a well-known open-source web server, which provides forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver, which includes forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Squid is an open source forward proxy that makes use of the HTTP protocol. It does not come with an the entire Web server software. We have a tutorial on how you can use Squid proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante: A forward proxy that operates the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP so that it is better to work in situations like peer-to-peer communication. You might also wish to understand how to set up the Dante proxy that allows private connections on Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as a representative of a web server that handles incoming requests from clients on behalf. The web server could comprise an individual server or a number of servers. It could also be used as an application server, like Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios the request will originate from a user on the internet in general. The majority of the time the request is made directly to the web server that hosts the information that the client is requesting. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to isolate Web server from direct contact with the public internet.

From a consumer's point of the client's point of view, using reverse proxy isn't any different from working with web servers in direct contact. It's functionally the same but the client isn't able to discern the difference. The client requests the resource and it gets it without any extra configuration required from the user.

Reverse proxies provide features like:

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  A central layer of security to protect the server.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic that is inbound according to rules that you can set up.
  
  
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  New functionality added for caching.
  
  

Central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature to that layer of the webserver rather than the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls at the server level that may contain multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is placed in the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interfacing with firewalls as well as interfacing with client requests via web servers enables the firewall to concentrate on providing the necessary resources.

In the case of multiple servers in a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy takes care of directing the requests to the server. There could be multiple web servers providing the same content, providing different kinds of services or a mix of both. They could use the HTTP protocol similar to the traditional web server. However, they could be equipped with application server protocols such as FastCGI. There is the possibility to configure reverse proxy software to redirect users to a specific server based on the service being requested, or to adhere to certain guidelines for traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position before web servers by providing the capability to store data. Large static assets can be configured using caching rules to prevent having to call web servers on every request. There are some solutions even allowing you to serve static files directly without touching the web server even once. Additionally reverse proxy can handle the compression on these resources.

The popular Nginx web server can also function as an effective reverse proxy solution. While Apache is also a reverse proxy solution however, it is a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is fitted with an reverse proxy feature as an additional option for Apache as opposed to Nginx was initially designed for and is focused on reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Situations

Because "forward" or "reverse" are associated with the notion of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, these labels can be confusing since both types of proxies manage the process of responding to requests. The best way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to look at the needs of the app you're developing.

Reverse proxy is an effective tool to use when developing a solution to serve web-based applications via the internet. They act as your web servers when you connect to the internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when it is displayed before customers for your own usage as well as in an official environment. They serve as a representation of your client's web traffic during any interaction on the internet.

The practice of separating by use case instead of using the same naming conventions will assist you in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article explains the meaning of a proxy, with two types: the forward proxy as well as the reverse. Practical scenarios for application and an examination of the beneficial attributes were used to determine forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you'd like to explore the implementation of proxies, you can follow our tutorial on how to set up Nginx for use as an online server as well as reverse proxy to Apache using Ubuntu 20.04 Server. Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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