A proxy, also known as a proxy is also referred to for its role as a proxy. is a program that acts as an intermediary between client and server via the internet. In the absence of a proxy server, a client would send a request for any resource directly to the server and servers would serve the requested resource directly to the user. While this approach is straightforward to comprehend and use the addition of proxy servers may provide benefits like increased performance, privacy and security, and so on. As an additional layer of security proxy servers act as a security guard for the internet between servers and clients.

The general consensus is that the system of server hardware coupled with installed proxy software is often referred as proxy servers. But, this article will concentrate on proxy servers that are typically categorized as software, specifically with respect with web server. We will present a summary of the two main kinds of proxies that are a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has a distinct use, and can be confusing due to the identical namestamp.

This article will give you an understanding of different types of proxy and subtypes, and their value in common configurations. Through this article you’ll know the scenarios where you may benefit from a proxy and make the right choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy in any given scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also known as open proxy, sometimes referred to as open proxy acts as an agent for users who wish to send a request via the internet to an source server. In this instance, any request made by the client will be directed via this forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in instead of the user will examine the request. It first decides if the client is legally authorized to accept requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then either deny any request, or redirect it to the server from which it originated. The client is not able to have directly access to internet. it is only able to access the information that the forward proxy gives it access to.

The most frequent reasons for forward proxy is greater security or privacy on the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet in lieu of an individual client, and during that process it may use a different IP address as opposed to the original IP address of the user.

Based on the way it’s configured, based on the way it is configured forward proxy can provide many features and allow you to:

  • Do not click on ads that track you.
  • Circumvent surveillance.
  • Determine restrictions based on location.

Forward proxies are also employed in systems to offer central security as well as permission-based access, like in a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic is routed through an open forward proxy layer, administrator can permit only certain users access to the internet, which is controlled by a standard firewall. Instead of putting firewalls on the client layer which may involve many machines with varying configurations and users, a firewall can be placed at on the proxy layer that is in front.

Be aware that forward proxies should be manually configured for use, while reverse proxy servers could be disregarded by the client. According to the type of IP address of a client is sent to the server that generated it by the forward proxy security and privacy can either be provided or rendered transparent.

There are a myriad of possibilities to consider in determining forward proxy:

  • Apache is a well-known open source web server that offers forward proxy capability.
  • Nginx is another popular open-source webserver that includes forward proxy functionality.
  • Squid is an open source forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. The option does not include the entire web server. It is possible to refer to our article about how for installing Squid proxy to permit private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  • Dante is a forward proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which allows it to be more appropriate for situations such as peer-to-peer connections. It is also possible to learn how to configure a Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is the web server, which takes care of the requests of customers on behalf of the server. This server can serve as a single server or multiple servers. In addition, it could comprise an application server, like Gunicorn. In any of these situations the request will be made via the web at large. In the majority of cases the request will be sent directly to the server along with all the information the client requires. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary and separates your web server from communication with the internet’s public.

From a consumer’s point viewpoint from the perspective of a client reverse proxy use is not any different than connecting directly to an internet server. It’s functionally identical, however the client isn’t able to discern the distinction. The client asks for the resource, and then gets it, with no additional configuration needed from the client.

Reverse proxies provide various features, including:

  • A central layer of security that protects the server.
  • The direction of traffic that is using rules that you can establish.
  • A new feature to cache is now available.

While central security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy service, reverse proxy providers provide this feature only to only the server layer, only the layer that clients use. Instead of focusing on maintaining firewalls at the server level which could include multiple servers and different configurations, the majority of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, eliminating the burden of communicating with firewalls as well as interacting with requests from clients not connected to web servers lets them concentrate solely on delivering the requirements of their clients.

In the event of multiple servers being hosted through reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also handles the routing of requests towards which servers. Multiple web servers could be operating on the same server, providing various kinds of resources, or a mixture of the two. They may utilize the HTTP protocol for functioning as a normal web server, but they could also incorporate applications server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to set up a reverse proxy to route clients to particular servers according to the requested resource, or to follow certain guidelines for traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also utilize their positioning before web servers by providing the ability to cache. Large static assets can be set with caching rules that prevent getting to web servers for every time you request. There are solutions that offer the option of serving static content directly without having to interact with the webserver in any way. Additionally, reverse proxy can handle compressing these assets.

The renowned Nginx web server is a wildly popular reverse proxy choice. Although it is true that the Apache web server is able to use the ability to reverse proxy as an added feature available to Apache However, Nginx was designed originally to and is focused on the reverse proxy function.

Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Examples

Because “forward” and “reverse” are both associated with an impression of directionality and false comparisons with “incoming” as well as “outgoing” traffic can confuse because both types of proxy servers process requests and responses. The best way to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy servers would be to look at the requirements of the application that you are building.

Reverse proxy is an important aspect in the design of a solution to serve web applications on the internet. They act as your servers whenever you connect to the Internet.

Forward proxy can be helpful in displaying customer information for personal use or in a work environment. The forward proxy is a representation of the information of the customer when you connect to the internet.

A distinction based on use case instead of focusing solely on similar naming conventions will make it easier to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

This article clarified the meaning of a proxy. There are two kinds of proxy being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and an exploration of beneficial attributes were used to determine forward proxies as well as reverse proxy. If you’re interested exploring the use of proxy servers, you can read our guide on how to configure Nginx as web server and reverse proxy within Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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