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proxy or proxy is often referred to for its role as a proxy server software that acts as a mediator between a server and a client via the internet. Without the use of proxy, a user would make a request any source directly through the server, and then the server will give the requested resource directly to the user. Although this method is easy to grasp and use however, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in terms of better performance, privacy and security, and many more. Alongside adding a layer of protection the proxy also acts as a security guard for the internet between clients and servers.




It is generally accepted that the combined package of server hardware along with the software for proxy installation is also often referred as a proxy server. For this post, we'll examine proxies commonly categorized as software, and also in connection with web server. You will get a breakdown of the two principal kinds of proxies, which are the forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each one has its own use situation, and is frequently confused due to the overlap in name convention.




This article will give you an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes are and the ways they are useful in various configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to discern the scenarios where it is beneficial to use a proxy and then make the best choice between forward and reverse proxy depending on the scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy also referred to by the name of an open proxy is a proxy for a user who is trying to make a request via the internet to an source server. In this situation, any request made by the client will instead be handled by an forward proxy. Forward proxy acting in the client's stead, will examine the request. It first decides if the client has been granted permission to receive requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it will either refuse requests or redirect them to the original server. It isn't able to direct connection with the Internet. It can only access what the forward proxy permits it access to.




The most common reason for using forward proxy is to provide greater security or privacy when surfing the web. Forward proxy connects to the Internet as a "client", and during this way, it assigns an alternate IP address for your client's IP address.




Based on the way it has been configured based on the configuration, forward proxy may provide a variety of functions, allowing you to:




Do not click on ads that track you.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can spot restrictions based upon your geolocation.




Forward proxies are also used in systems that give central security and access through permissions, such as in a workplace. All internet traffic can pass through an open forward proxy, administrators can grant access only to a specific group of individuals to access the web, and this is then filtered by the standard firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on this layer of client, this can be used by multiple computers that have different types of environments and users, a firewall could be located at this forward proxy layer.




It is important to know that forward proxies have to be manually setup to allow the use of them, but reverse proxies won't be noticed by the user. Depending on whether your IP address a user is sent to the origin server by forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or kept secret.




There are many options to consider when considering forward proxies.




Apache: A popular open-source web server that offers forward proxy features.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source web server that has forward proxy functionality.


Squid: A free and free forward proxy which makes use of an HTTP protocol. It's not part of the complete web server. We have a step-by-step guide to setup Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP, making it ideal for scenarios such as peer-to-peer communication. You can also look at the steps to install the Dante proxy that will allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary for a web server, handling incoming requests from clients in its place. It can be used as a one server, or multiple servers. It could also contain 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 will be sent directly to the website server hosting the data the customer is seeking. Reverse proxy works as an intermediary that blocks your server from communications with the web's public.




From a consumer's point viewpoint, or a user's viewpoint, interfacing via reverse proxy isn't any different from connecting to the server in its own. It's functionally identical to Web server and user cannot tell the difference. The client can make a request for the resource and it is then given it, without any further configuration by the user.




Reverse proxies grant features like:




Security centralized to web server.


Directing incoming traffic according to rules you make.


A new feature for caching has been added.




Although centralized security is an advantage of both reverse and forward proxy services, reverse-proxies do this function to the web server layer, but not to the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls at the web servers that may comprise multiple servers with different configurations, the majority of firewall security is located on that layer called reverse proxy. In addition, the absence of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with requests from clients who do not have web servers lets them concentrate on addressing the needs of their customers.




In the case of multiple servers being hosted through a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also is responsible for directing which requests go to which server. Multiple servers may be offering the same service, but each offering different kinds of resources, or a combination of both. They may use the HTTP protocol similarly to traditional web servers however, they could also be outfitted with application server protocols like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy servers to redirect customers to specific server based on the resource they are looking for or to follow specific rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxy systems can also profit from their placement on the top of web servers by using caching capabilities. Large static assets can be set up with caching rules in order to prevent hitting web servers with every request. Some applications allow the server to serve static files directly without having to connect to a web server at all. Additionally, reverse proxy has the ability to compress these assets.




The popular Nginx web server is also used as a popular reverse proxy service. While it's certain that Apache web server has a reverse proxy features but it's an alternative option. Apache and not the default option. Nginx was originally designed to focus on reverse proxy capabilities.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use - Situations



Since "forward" as well as "reverse" are both associated with the perception of directionality, and false comparisons to "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic. These terms can be confusing since both kinds of proxies handle both requests and replies. An alternative approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy is to think about the needs of the application you're creating.




Reverse proxy is an essential element when designing an infrastructure to connect web applications to the internet. They are your web servers in any interaction with the internet.




Forward proxy software is beneficial when it is put in front of customers to use for personal purposes, or in a work setting. They can be used to represent the client's activity when you use the internet.




The use case-based distinction instead of focusing only on common naming conventions will ensure that you don't get confused.



Conclusion



This article defined what a "proxy" is with the two main types of them being the reverse and forward proxy. Practical applications as well as a summary of beneficial features were utilized to distinguish between forward proxy and reverse proxy. If you're considering how to implement proxies you should check out our guide on how to configure Nginx as web server and reverse proxy for Apache on Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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