An proxy is also known as a proxy server is software that functions as an intermediary between a client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a user will send a request for an item directly to a server, and the server will deliver the resource directly to the client. While this is a simple method to understand and implement, the addition of proxies can offer advantages in terms enhanced performance security, privacy, and more. Alongside providing a layer of security they also serve as a security safeguard for the internet between clients and servers.

There is a general consensus that the collection of server hardware along with installed proxy software is also frequently referred to proxy servers. This article will be focusing on proxies typically classified as software, and in the case of web servers. We will present a summary of the two principal kinds of proxies, which include a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each has its own specific usage and can be confusing due to the same name convention.

This article will give you an idea of the what proxies are and the subtypes of them and how they work in the typical setups. Through in this post, you'll be able to determine the situations that are the best to utilize a proxy and choose the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy, in any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

In another way a forward proxy, also known as open proxy. In other words, an open proxy serves as the representative of a customer who wishes to forward a request via the internet to an origin server. In this scenario every request made by the client will instead be routed directly to the forward proxy. This forward proxy in the place of the client, will review the request. The first step is to decide if the client is authorized to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then decide if it is authorized to deny a request and transfer it onto the original server. The client is unable to have direct access to the internet. It is only able to access the internet that the forward proxy permits it access to.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy allows you to connect to the internet in place of a client, and, in this way, it may employ an IP address that is different from the original IP address used by the client.

Based on the way it was set up in the past forward proxy servers are able to offer a wide range of choices and permit you to:

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  Avoid ad tracking.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You will be able to identify any limitations based on your geographic area.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be utilized in systems that offer central security and authorization based access, such as in a workplace. When all traffic on the internet passes via an open forward proxy layer, administrators can restrict access to only those clients who are and filter it through a standard firewall. Instead of putting firewalls for the client layer that may comprise a range of devices that are different in environments and users, the firewall could be put within the forward proxy layer.

It is important to note that settings for forward proxy have to be configured manually to use in reverse proxies, whereas forward proxies are able to be disregarded by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of a user is transmitted to the source server via forward proxy privacy and anonymity could be granted or not.

There are several options to take into consideration for forward proxies

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  Apache: A popular open-source webserver that includes forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open-source webserver with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. It doesn't provide a complete internet server. Check out our step-by-step guide to install Squid proxy to allow private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy that runs using the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP which makes it better appropriate for scenarios such as peer-to-topeer connections. It is also possible to look at the steps to install a Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy acts as a proxy for web servers, which handles incoming requests from clients. The web server could comprise one server or several servers. Additionally, it can be used as an application server like Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request for an application comes from a user via the internet generally. In most cases the request will be sent directly to the web server with the information the client wants. Reverse proxy, however, serves as an intermediary protecting Web servers from direct interaction with the web's public.

From the point of view that is from a user's perspective, working with a reverse proxy is identical to using direct connections to an internet server. It's exactly the same thing, however the user is unable to see the difference. The client asks for the resource, and is then provided with it, without any additional configuration required on the part of the client.

Reverse proxies can provide features such as:

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  Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.
  
  
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  Controlling traffic that is inbound, based on rules you can design.
  
  
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  The caching functionality was added to the application.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage for both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature to only the server layer, and it is not available to the client layer. Instead of managing firewalls on the web server layer which can contain a variety of servers and various configurations, most of firewall security can be targeted at reverse proxy layers. Furthermore, the elimination of the responsibility of interacting with a firewall as well as dealing with requests from clients outside of web servers allows them to concentrate on providing the requirements of their customers.

In the event that there's multiple servers hosted using a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy is responsible for directing which requests go to which server. There could be multiple web servers offering the same content, providing different types of resource or a combination of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol in the same way as an ordinary web server however they could also include other protocols for application servers like FastCGI. It is also possible to set up a reverse proxy to redirect the clients towards specific servers in accordance with the requested resource or comply with specific rules pertaining to traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also make use of their position prior to web servers by providing the ability to cache. Large static assets can be configured with caching rules to avoid from hitting web servers on every request. There are even solutions that allow the server to serve static assets directly without having to connect to the web server even once. Additionally reverse proxy is able to control compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server is also used as a very popular reverse proxy service. While Apache is also a reverse proxy option but it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is also able to function with a reverse proxy feature, it is an additional feature of Apache however Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on its reverse proxy feature.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Use Examples

Since "forward" as well as "reverse" have a connotation of directionality, and false comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing as both types of proxies deal with requests and responses. A better approach to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to examine the specifications of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is beneficial when creating a solution to provide web-based applications over the internet. They act as your web server for when you use the internet.

Forward proxy can be beneficial when it is displayed in front of customers to use for personal reasons or in the corporate setting. They represent your customers when you interact with the internet.

The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing solely on standard naming conventions could help in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

This article clarified the definition of a proxy with the two kinds: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of beneficial features were utilized to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy. If you're interested in knowing more about the process of implementing proxies you can check out our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy with Apache in an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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