Proxy Sites - An Overview

An proxy is also known as a proxy server is software which acts as an intermediary for client and server on the internet. Without proxy servers, a user could send a request for resources directly to a server and it would deliver the resource directly towards the customer. While this is a simple method to understand and implement, however, the addition of proxy servers can bring advantages including improved efficiency as well as privacy, security and more. As an additional layer of passing through, the proxy acts as a security guardian of the internet, separating clients from servers.




The bundled system of server hardware that is paired with installed proxy software is frequently referred to as a proxy server. This article will discuss proxies typically classified as software, and specifically in relation to web servers. There will be a discussion of the two major kinds of proxies. One being a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application and is often confused because of the similar namesake convention.




This article will give you an understanding of different subtypes and proxies in terms of their importance for the common setups. After reading this article, you'll be able understand the situations when the use of proxies is beneficial, and you can then select the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy based on the situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



Forward proxy, also known by the name of an open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wishes to make an internet-based request to an the server that made it. In this case every attempt to make requests through the client will instead be sent through forward proxy. Forward proxy in lieu of the client, will review the request. The first step is to determine if this client is allowed to receive requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then deny any request, or send it to its origin server. The client does not have direct connection to the internet; it can only reach what the forward proxy allows it to access.




The primary reason for people for using forward proxy servers is increased privacy or anonymity online. A forward proxy accesses the internet as clients, and, in this manner it can use an IP address different from the IP address used by the client.




Depending on the way it's configured the forward proxy will provide a variety of functions and the capability to:




Beware of Ad-trackers.


Circumvent surveillance.


Find restrictions that are based on your area.




Forward proxies also are utilized in systems that provide centralized security as well as access to users based on permissions, for instance in workplaces. If all internet traffic passes through a forward proxy, an administrator is capable of allowing only certain clients to access the internet via a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls for the client layer, which could include multiple machines with varying settings and environment the firewall is placed in a forward proxy layer.




It is essential to note the forward proxy configurations must be manually set up to permit the forward proxy to function in order to be used and reverse proxy servers are unable to be detected by the user. Based on whether or not your IP address the user is passed on to the origin server through the forward proxy, the privacy and security settings, it can be granted or kept in the dark.




There are a variety of options to consider for forward proxy options:




Apache An open source well-known web server with forward proxy features.


Nginx Another well-known open-source server used for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is a free forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It's not the full web server system. It is possible to refer to our article on the best method to set up Squid proxy to handle secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, making it more suited to cases such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to learn how to configure Dante proxy for connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to a web server, and is able to handle requests from customers on behalf of. Web servers can function as a one server or as a series of servers. In addition, it could function as an app server such as Gunicorn. In any event, an application request is made from a user via the internet. The request will typically go directly to the server that hosts the information that the user is searching for. The reverse proxy acts as an intermediary in order to block your server from interaction with the internet's open.




From the perspective of a user's the consumer's perspective, working with reverse proxy doesn't differ from communicating with your webserver directly. It's functionally identical, but the user can't discern the difference. The client requests an item and gets it without requiring any additional configuration for the end user.




Reverse proxy providers provide features like:




The server on the internet is protected centrally.


The sending of traffic according to rules you set.


Added functionality for caching.




While central security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxy applications apply this function only for the web server layer, but not to the client layer. instead of the maintenance of security firewalls in Web server layers that may include multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk protection of the firewall is aimed towards the reverse proxy layer. In addition, taking the burden of interfacing with a firewall and interacting with requests from clients off web servers enables them to concentrate on providing resources.




If there are multiple servers existing with a reverse-proxy, the reverse proxy will be also accountable for deciding what requests are routed to the server. There could be multiple web servers that are running within the server all serving different kinds of resources or a mix of both. These servers could use the HTTP protocol, which is similar to a traditional web server. They may also use application server protocols like FastCGI. It is also possible to configure reverse proxy settings to redirect clients to specific servers in accordance with the service requested or to adhere to certain guidelines regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies are also able to benefit from their position on top of web servers through the capability of caching. Massive static resources can be set up using caching rules to prevent the web server from being hit with each request, with some options even allowing you to provide static files in a direct manner without linking directly to the website server. In addition, the reverse proxy can handle the compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx webserver is a well-known reverse proxy option. While it's not a reverse proxy, the Apache web server also comes with the reverse proxy function as an additional function that is available for Apache while Nginx was initially designed for and specifically designed for the reverse proxy function.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Cases



Since "forward" in addition to "reverse" are both associated with the notion of directionality and also misleading comparisons with "incoming" in addition to "outgoing" traffic These terms can be confusing since both types of proxy servers are able to respond to requests and responses. Another method of separating between forward and reverse proxy servers would be to analyze the specifications of the software you're developing.




Reverse proxy is a useful tool when you are designing a solution to host applications that are on the web. They are your web servers during any interaction through the Internet.




Forward proxy is a great tool to have working with clients in front to use for personal purposes or in a business environment. They are a representation of your traffic when you interact with the internet.




A distinction that is based on the use case instead of focusing on the common naming conventions can assist you in getting rid of confusion.



Conclusion



The article explained what a proxy is as well as two types of them: the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of its use and a discussion of most effective features were utilized to differentiate forward proxies from reverse. If you'd like to explore how to set up proxies, we suggest you go through our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy for Apache running the Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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