proxy, also known as a proxy is also known by the name of a proxy,, a software that sits as a mediator between server and a client on the internet. Without the use of proxy, a user would make a request any service directly from the server, and then the server will provide direct access to that resource. While this is a simple method to understand and use, however, the addition proxy servers could provide advantages in terms of more performance, privacy and security, among other things. In addition to providing a layer of security it also serves as a security guard for the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the combined bundle of server hardware with the software for proxy installation is commonly referred to as a proxy server. For this post, we will focus on proxies traditionally classified as software and within relation to web server. The article will give a detailed breakdown of the two main types of proxies: that is the forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each has its own usage scenario, which is often confused due to the overlap in naming convention.




This article will provide you with the knowledge of what proxies and subtypes are as well as the ways they are useful in a range of configurations. In this article, you'll be able identify situations in which it is beneficial to use a proxy and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy depending on the situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



An forward proxy sometimes known in the form of open proxy. An open proxy is a proxy for a user trying to connect via the internet to an source server. In this scenario every attempt to send requests made by the client will be routed through an forward proxy. The forward proxy, in place of the client will review the request. It will first determine if the client has been granted permission to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either reject requests or redirect it to the server that originated it. It's not able to directly connect with the Internet. It only has access to what the forward proxy permits it to access.




A common use for forward proxy is to provide greater privacy or security when online. Forward proxy connects to internet as a client during this process, it uses an alternate IP address for the client's IP address.




Based on the way it has been configured in accordance with the method it was set up, a forward proxy could provide a variety of functions, allowing you to:




Beware of tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can identify limitations based on your geographic location.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems that give central security as well as access permissions, like in a workplace. All internet traffic can pass by an open forward proxy, administrators are able to grant access to a specific group of individuals to access the web, which is filtered by the common firewall. Instead of maintaining firewalls on this layer of client, which could be utilized by a variety of computer systems with different environments and types of users. A firewall may be located in this forward proxy layer.




Take note that forward proxies have to be manually setup to allow their use, however reverse proxies will not be noticed by the user. Based on the fact that your IP address a user is transmitted to the source server by the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or kept in the dark.




There are a variety of alternatives to think about in the case of forward proxies.




Apache: A popular open-source web server that offers forward proxy features.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source web server with forward proxy functionality.


Squid: An Open Source Forward Proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It doesn't come with the entire web server. This is a step-by-step tutorial to setup Squid proxy for connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP and is ideal for scenarios such as peer-to-peer communication. You can also look at how you can install a Dante proxy that will allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary for a web server, handling the incoming requests of clients in its place. The server could function as a one server, or as a set of servers. Additionally, it can include an application servers, such as Gunicorn. In any case it is possible to get the request of a customer through the internet at large. Most of the time the request will be sent directly to the web server that hosts the information the client is asking for. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary that blocks your server from communications with the web's public.




From the point of view that is from a user's perspective, interacting with reverse proxy isn't distinct from the interaction with the server on its own. It's functionally the same as the web server, and the client cannot tell the difference. The client can request the resource, and receive it, without any further configuration by the user.




Reverse proxies grant features like:




Centralized security on webservers.


The direction of traffic that is incoming according to rules you design.


A new feature for caching has been added.




Although centralized security is a benefit for both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse-proxies do this function to only the layer of web servers but not the layer of clients. Instead of implementing firewalls at the web servers that may contain multiple servers with various configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated at that layer called reverse proxy. In addition, the absence of connecting to a firewall and responding to requests from clients that do not use web servers lets them concentrate on providing the needs of their customers.




If there are multiple servers hosting through reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also takes care of directing the requests on which server. Multiple web servers could be providing the exact same service, but each providing different types of resources, or perhaps a mix of both. They can utilize the HTTP protocol similar to a traditional web server but can be equipped with applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can set up a reverse proxy to direct customers to specific server depending on the requested resource, or to observe certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxy solutions also benefit from their positioning on top of web servers through the caching feature. Large static files can be arranged with caching rules in order to ensure that web servers are not hit every time you request. Certain solutions allow you to serve static content directly without having to connect to the web server in any way. In addition reverse proxy has the ability to manage compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server can also function as a popular reverse proxy service. While it's true that the Apache web server does have reverse proxy feature, it's an alternative option for Apache in contrast to Nginx was originally designed to focus on reverse proxy capabilities.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Situations



Since "forward" as well as "reverse" are associated with a sense of directionality and inaccurate comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic. The labels are confusing because both types of proxies manage both requests and replies. A better approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the requirements of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy is an essential aspect when developing an application that can deliver web applications to the internet. They serve as your web servers in any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy applications can be beneficial when it is displayed in front of clients for personal use or in a workplace. They can be used to represent the traffic of your client when you use the internet.




A case-based approach to differentiation instead of focusing solely on naming conventions that are commonplace will ensure that you don't get confused.



Conclusion



The article outlined what an "proxy" is and the two most common kinds of them being reverse and forward proxy. Practical applications and a discussion of beneficial features were used to distinguish forward proxies as well as reverse proxy. If you're considering how to implement proxies you should follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as web server and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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