Proxy Sites Fundamentals Explained

The word "proxy" is a reference to the term "proxy" which refers to proxy also referred to a proxy server which is a server application which serves to act as an intermediary for client and server over the internet. Without the need for proxy servers, users can send a request straight to servers, and the server would return the requested resource directly at the requester's expense. Although this method is easy to grasp and use but using proxies has benefits such as enhanced performance and privacy, security and more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy serves as a security layer for the internet between servers and clients.

In general, the combination of hardware and software for servers coupled with installed proxy software is sometimes referred to as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxies typically considered to be software, specifically in relation to web servers. The article will offer a description of two types, namely one being a forward proxy and the reverse. reverse proxy. Each type has a different use case, often confused due to the overlapping terminology.

This article will give you the knowledge of the different types of proxies, what their subtypes are and how they work in a variety of configurations. In this article, you'll be able to recognize the situations where the use of proxies is advantageous, and choose the correct solution between forward proxy and reverse proxy for any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy also referred to as an open proxy acts as an intermediary for a client trying to make a connection via the internet to a source server. In this situation the entire effort to send requests by the user is instead sent via the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting on behalf of the client, will take a look at the request. It will decide if this client can accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then deny requests or redirect them to the server that originated it. The client isn't allowed an internet connection directly. It is only able to access what the forward proxy allows the client to connect.

The most common reason for using forward proxies is to gain more privacy or security when using the internet. A forward proxy accesses the internet as a client and, in doing so, it could use a different IP address that is different to the client's original IP address.

Depending on how it has been set up according to the configuration, a forward proxy could offer a range of features and permit you to:

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  Do not click on ads that track you.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find limitations based on your location.
  
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Forward proxies can also be used in systems that rely on central security and permission-based access like at a workplace. If all internet traffic flows through an open forward proxy layer, administrators are able to grant access only to a select group of people to connect on the internet, and this is then filtered by a standard firewall. Instead of creating firewalls on the layer of clients, which could be used by multiple computers that have different configurations, users and settings, firewalls could be added to the proxy layer.

It is important to remember that forward proxies must be configured manually and reverse proxies can not be noticed by the user. Based on the type of the IP address that a user is sent to the server where it originated through the forward proxy, anonymity and privacy can be granted or denied.

There are several possibilities to look into for forward proxy possibilities:

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  Apache A popular open-source, well-known web server that provides forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open-source server for web hosting with the ability to forward-proxy.
  
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  Squid: An open-source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not the complete Web Server System. You can refer to our step-by-step guide to installing Squid proxy to enable private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which allows it to be more appropriate for situations like peer-topeer traffic. You may also want to learn how to configure an Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary to web servers, which handles any requests that come in from customers on behalf of the server. The web server could function as a single server or multiple servers. Furthermore, it could be used for application servers such as Gunicorn. In any case, a request would come from the Internet at large. Typically the request would go directly to the web server, containing the information that the user is seeking. Reverse proxy, however, acts as an intermediary, securing the web server from direct contact to the open internet.

From a consumer's point of view the experience of interacting with reverse proxy isn't a lot different than working with the server itself. It's the same, but clients aren't able tell the distinction. The client is able to request the resource, and is provided with it, without any additional configuration needed from the client.

Reverse proxy providers offer options like:

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  Security centralized for web servers.
  
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  Traffic coming into your site is routed by rules you have set.
  
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  The caching functionality was added to the application.
  
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While central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this service for the Web server layer, but not to the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls on Web server layers, which could include several servers that have various configurations, the majority of the firewall security could be directed towards the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, removing the burden of interacting with firewalls and responding to requests from customers outside of web servers lets them focus on delivering the needs of their clients.

If there are multiple servers operating through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy takes care of directing the requests to which server. There may be many web servers providing the exact same service, all offering different types of resource or a mixture of both. They could use the HTTP protocol to function as a traditional web server. However, they can also be using application server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy servers to redirect users to a particular server based on the service being requested or to adhere to specific rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies also have the ability to benefit from their positioning ahead of web servers, offering the capability to store information. The large static files can be managed by caching rules so that they avoid the web server from being hit every time a request is made. Certain solutions allow you to upload static files directly, and without having to connect with the server. Furthermore, the reverse proxy could handle the compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx web server can also be an effective reverse proxy service. Although Nginx, the Apache web server has reverse proxy capabilities as an alternative option for Apache however Nginx was originally designed for and specifically designed for reverse proxy features.

Distinguishing the use of reverse and forward proxy Examples

Since "forward" and "reverse" have connotations of directionality, as well as false connections with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic the labels could be confusing as both kinds of proxies are capable of handling requests as well as responses. A different method of distinguishing between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're creating.

A reverse proxy is helpful when creating a solution to serve web-based applications via the internet. They are your web servers for all interactions on the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when it is displayed in front of customers either for personal use, or in an organization. They represent the client's information whenever you interact on the internet.

Distinguishing by use case instead of focusing on the common names can aid you in making sure that there is no confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained the meaning of a proxy with two kinds: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical use cases along with an examination of useful features were used to define the two types of proxies: forward and reverse. If you're looking to know more about the possibilities of proxies, we recommend you read our guide on how to install Nginx as an internet server as well as reverse proxy in Apache running on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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