proxy or proxy is often referred to by the name of a proxy, a software that acts in the middle between a server and a client via the internet. Without the use of proxy, a user can send a request for a source directly through the server, and then the server would deliver an item directly for the requester. While this is a simple method to understand and use, however, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in terms of better performance, privacy, security, among other things. In addition to offering a security layer it also serves as a gatekeeper for the internet between clients and servers.




In general, the package of server hardware along with the software for proxy installation is often referred as a proxy server. In this article, we will focus on proxies traditionally classified as software, and in relation to web server. The article will give a detailed breakdown of the two main types of proxies, which are an forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each one has its own use scenario that is often misunderstood due to the overlapping name convention.




This article will give you an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes are as well as the ways they can be beneficial in a range of configurations. In this article, you'll learn to discern the scenarios where the use of proxies is advantageous, and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy in any given scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy, also known by the name of an open proxy serves as an agent for an individual trying to make a request via the internet to a source server. In this situation, any attempt to send requests made by the client will instead be routed through an forward proxy. This forward proxy acting in the place of the client, will examine the request. It will first determine if the client has been authorized to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. It will then either refuse requests or redirect them to the original server. It isn't able to direct connection directly to internet. It can only access what forward proxy allows the forward proxy to connect.




A typical use of forward proxy is the requirement for greater security or privacy when online. A forward proxy can connect to Internet as a "client" and through this way, it assigns an alternative IP address in addition to your client's IP address.




Depending on how it has been configured based on the configuration, a forward proxy could provide a variety of functions, allowing you to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can spot limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies are also employed in systems to provide central security and access through permissions, such as in the workplace. Internet traffic can be routed through an open forward proxy. administrators can grant access only for specific people to connect on the internet, which is then filtered by the standard firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on this layer of client, which could be used by several computer systems with different settings and users. A firewall may be placed within this forward proxy layer.




It is important to know that forward proxy servers require manual setup to allow their use, however reverse proxies will not be detected by the user. Based on the fact that an IP address from a user is sent to the origin server via forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or kept in the dark.




There are numerous possibilities to think about when it comes to forward proxies.




Apache The Apache is a popular open-source webserver that provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx is another well-known open-source web server that comes with forward proxy functionality.


Squid: A free and open source forward proxy which utilizes an HTTP protocol. It's not part of the complete 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 instead of HTTP which makes it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to look into how to set up a Dante proxy that will allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to a web server, handling incoming requests from clients in its place. The server could function as a single server or as a set of servers. Furthermore, it could comprise an application server, such as Gunicorn. It is possible to receive a request from a customer via the web at large. In the majority of cases, the request would be made directly to the web server hosting the information the client is asking for. Instead, a reverse proxy serves as an intermediary in order to block your server from communications with the internet's public.




From the point of viewpoint, or a user's viewpoint, interfacing with reverse proxy isn't distinct from the interaction with the server on its own. It's functionally the same as Web server and user isn't able to tell the distinction. Clients can make a request for the resource and it is then provided with it, without any additional configuration needed from the user.




Reverse proxies grant features like:




Security centralized for web servers.


Controlling traffic coming in based on rules you can make.


Added functionality for caching.




Although centralized security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy systems, reverse proxies do this service to only the layer of web servers, but not to the client layer. instead of having firewalls installed at the layer of web servers that may comprise multiple servers with different configurations, the majority of firewall security is located at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, removing the obligation of connecting to a firewall and responding to requests from clients that do not use web servers lets them concentrate on addressing the needs of their customers.




In the event of multiple servers hosted by reverse proxy the reverse proxy takes care of directing which requests go towards which servers. Multiple web servers could be offering the identical service, however each providing different types of resources, or perhaps a mix of both. They can use the HTTP protocol in the same way as a traditional web server however, they could also be outfitted with protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy that directs clients to an individual server depending on the resource they are looking for, or to observe certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxy solutions can also profit from their placement on top of web servers through caching capabilities. Large static assets can be set up using caching rules to prevent hitting web servers with every request. Some solutions even allowing the server to serve static files directly without having to connect to the web server at all. Furthermore the reverse proxy can be used to manage compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server is also used as a popular reverse proxy solution. While it's certain that Apache web server has a reverse proxy features but it's an additional option for Apache and not the default option. Nginx was designed initially to focus on the reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Situations



Since "forward" as well as "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality, they can lead to misleading comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic. These terms can be confusing since both types of proxies manage the flow of requests as well as responses. An alternative approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the needs of the app you're building.




Reverse proxy is an essential element when designing a solution to deliver web-based applications on the internet. They serve as your web servers in any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy software is advantageous when placed in front of clients for personal use, or even in a working environment. They represent the traffic of your client when you use the internet.




A case-based approach to differentiation rather than focusing exclusively on naming conventions that are commonplace can ensure that you don't become confused.



Conclusion



This article defined what a "proxy" is with the two most common kinds being reverse and forward proxy. Practical applications as well as a summary of the beneficial features was used to distinguish forward proxies from reverse proxy. If you're interested exploring how to set up proxies, follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as web server and reverse proxy to Apache on Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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