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proxy or proxy is commonly referred to as a proxy server a software that acts in the middle between a client and server via the internet. Without a proxy, a user could send a request for any source directly through the server and then the server would deliver an item directly for the requester. This method is simple to comprehend and utilize, but the addition of proxy servers could provide advantages in terms of better speed, privacy and security, among other things. In addition to adding a layer of protection, a proxy acts as a security guard to the internet, separating clients and servers.




It is generally accepted that the package of server hardware along with installed proxy software is also commonly referred to as proxy servers. This article we'll examine proxies commonly categorized as software and within connection with web server. The article will give a detailed breakdown of the two main types of proxies. These are the forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each one has its own use scenario that is often misunderstood due to the overlapping naming convention.




This article will give you the knowledge of what proxy servers and their subtypes are, and how they can be useful in a range of configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to identify situations in which a proxy is beneficial, and make the right option between reverse and forward proxy in any given situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy, also known in the form of the open proxy serves as an agent for a user who is trying to connect via the internet to a source server. In this situation, any attempt to send requests made by the user will be handled by an forward proxy. This forward proxy acting in place of the client is able to examine the request. It first decides if the client has been authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then either deny requests or redirect them to the original server. It's not able directly connect to the internet. It only has access to what the forward proxy enables the forward proxy to connect.




A common use for forward proxy is the requirement for greater privacy or security when online. The forward proxy is connected to web as a user in this way, it assigns an alternative IP address to the IP address of your client.




Depending on how it's been configured based on the configuration, a forward proxy could offer a range of features, allowing users to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can spot limitations based on your location.




Forward proxies are also used in systems to give central security as well as access permissions, like at work. Internet traffic can be routed through an open forward proxy. administrators can grant access only to a specific group of individuals to access the web, which is blocked by the typical firewall. Instead of having firewalls at the client layer, this can be used by multiple computer systems with different environments and types of users, a firewall could be placed in this forward proxy layer.




It is important to know that forward proxies have to be manually setup in order to allow their use, however reverse proxies will not be noticed by users. Based on the fact that an IP address from a user is transmitted to the original server via the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or hidden.




There are numerous possibilities to think about when considering forward proxy services.




Apache is a well-known open-source web server, which offers forward proxy functions.


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


Squid: An open source forward proxy which makes use of the HTTP protocol. It doesn't come with the whole web server. There is a step-bystep guide to set up Squid proxy for connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP which makes it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to look into how you can install the Dante proxy that will allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy functions as an intermediary between a web server that handles the incoming requests of clients in its place. This server can serve as a one server, or a number of servers. Furthermore, it could comprise an application server, such as Gunicorn. In any event, it's possible to receive a request from a customer through the internet at large. In most cases, the request would be directed directly to the server hosting the data the client is asking for. A reverse proxy works as an intermediary that blocks your website server from communicating with the internet's users.




From the point of viewpoint, or a user's viewpoint, interfacing with reverse proxy isn't different from connecting to the server by itself. It's functionally identical to Web server and client cannot tell the distinction. Clients can request the resource and receive it, without any extra configuration required by the user.




Reverse proxies grant features like:




Centralized security for web servers.


Controlling traffic coming in based on rules you can create.


Added functionality for caching.




Although centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy services, reverse-proxies provide this function to the web server layer, but not to the client layer. instead of having firewalls installed on the layer of web servers that may include multiple servers that have different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, removing the obligation of interfacing with firewalls and responding to requests from clients who do not have web servers allows them to focus on meeting the requirements of their customers.




In the event of multiple servers hosting through reverse proxy the reverse proxy takes care of directing which requests go on which server. Multiple servers may be offering the same service, but each providing different types of resources, or perhaps a mix of the two. They can use the HTTP protocol in the same way as a traditional web server, but they can also be outfitted with applications server protocols such as FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy that directs users to specific servers based on the requested resource or to follow certain rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxy systems can also benefit from their positioning on top of web servers through the caching feature. Large static assets can be set up using caching rules to avoid hitting web servers with every request. Certain solutions allow the server to serve static files directly without connecting to the web server at all. Furthermore, reverse proxy has the ability to handle compression of these files.




The popular Nginx web server is also used as a popular reverse proxy solution. It is certain that Apache web server has a reverse proxy feature, it's an additional option for Apache in contrast to Nginx was designed initially to and focused on the reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases



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 labels are confusing because each type of proxy handles both requests and replies. A better approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the needs of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy is an essential element when designing a solution to deliver web applications to the internet. They act as your web server in any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy applications are beneficial when it is placed in front of clients for personal use or in a workplace. They represent the traffic of your client as you interact on the internet.




The use case-based differentiation rather than focusing exclusively on common naming conventions can ensure that you don't get confused.



Conclusion



This article clarified what is a "proxy" is with the two primary types of them being the reverse and forward proxies. Practical applications and a review of beneficial features was used to differentiate forward proxies and reverse proxy. If you're interested exploring how to use proxies, follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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