An proxy is also referred to by the name of a proxy. is a program that acts as an intermediary between client and server on the internet. Without the proxy, a user would send a request for anything directly to the server, and servers would deliver direct to users who requested the resource. Although this method is easy to comprehend and use, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages including increased performance, privacy and security, among others. As an additional layer of pass-through proxy servers function as a gatekeeper for the internet, separating clients from servers.

The general consensus is that the hardware for servers, paired with proxy software is also often known as proxy servers. But, this article will concentrate on proxies traditionally defined as software, and specifically with respect to servers on the internet. We will give a synopsis of the two main kinds of proxy: a forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each has its own use, which could be confusing due to the identical name convention.

This article will provide you with an understanding of what proxies and their subtypes, and their value for common setups. By reading this article you'll be able recognize the situations where you could benefit by a proxy and determine the best alternative between reverse proxy or forward proxy for any situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy sometimes called open proxy, sometimes referred to as open proxy serves as an agent for the user who wishes to make a request over the internet to an source server. In this case every attempt to send requests made by the client will rather be directed via this forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in instead of the user will review the request. It will first determine whether the client is legally authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it can either deny any request, or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client is not able to have directly access to internet. it is only allowed access to the information that forward proxy grants its access.

One of the most frequent uses for forward proxies is increased privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet in lieu of a client's individual account, and in the process, it may use a different IP address as opposed to the IP address used by the client.

Depending on how it's been set up, and how it is configured, forward proxy may offer various options and let you:

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  Do not click on ads that track you.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Determine restrictions based on location.
  
  

Forward proxies are also used in systems to provide central security as well as permission-based access, like at a workplace. In the event that all internet traffic passes through a common forward proxy layer administrator can permit only certain users access to the internet, which is blocked by a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls for the client layer, which could include multiple machines with different settings and types of users, the firewall can be placed at an intermediary layer.

Be aware that forward proxies should be set up manually for use while reverse proxies could be disregarded from the clients. Depending on the type of IP address of the client, it is transmitted to the server which originated it via the forward proxy privacy and security can be granted or made transparent.

There are many choices to be considered for forward proxy:

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  Apache is a well-known open-source web server that offers forward proxy capability.
  
  
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  Nginx is another well-known open-source webserver which has forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: An open source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. This option doesn't include the whole web server. We recommend you read our guide on how for installing Squid proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante is a forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which makes it more suitable for scenarios like peer-to-peer traffic. You can also check out how to set up an Dante proxy to allow secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy acts as the web server, which takes care of requests from customers on behalf of the server. This server can serve as a one server, or as a series of servers. Additionally, it can comprise an application server, like Gunicorn. In any of these instances it is possible to send a request via the web at large. In the majority of cases the request is made directly to the server along with all the information the client requires. Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary and separates your web server from communication with the internet's public.

From the point of view from a client's perspective, using reverse proxy isn't different from connecting directly to an internet server. It's functionally the same but the client can't discern the difference. The client makes a request for the resource and is then granted access without any additional configuration required on the part of the client.

Reverse proxies offer various features, including:

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  A central layer of security that protects the server.
  
  
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  Directing incoming traffic according to rules you can establish.
  
  
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  A new feature for caching is now available.
  
  

Although central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse proxies provide this benefit only to the server layer, only the layer that clients use. instead of maintaining firewalls on the server level which might contain many servers with different configurations, the majority of firewall security can be directed at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of dealing with firewalls as well as interacting with requests from clients outside of web servers lets them focus solely on meeting the needs of their customers.

In the case of multiple servers hosting through a reverse proxy it also handles the routing of requests towards the servers. There could be multiple web servers providing the exact same service, or serving different types of resources or a mix of both. They can utilize the HTTP protocol for functioning as a standard web server, but they may also include applications server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to set up a reverse proxy to route clients to particular servers based on the request for service, or observe certain guidelines for traffic volume.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their position prior to web servers by offering caching capabilities. Large static assets can be set by caching rules to avoid reaching web servers each time a request is made. There are options that provide the possibility of serving static content directly without having to connect with the webserver in any way. Additionally, reverse proxy can manage compressing these files.

The renowned Nginx web server is a well-known reverse proxy option. Although it is true that the Apache web server is able to use the ability to reverse proxy as an added feature available to Apache However, Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on the reverse proxy function.

Differentiating Forward Proxy and reverse Proxy Examples

Because "forward" and "reverse" are both associated with the perception of directionality, they can lead to false comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic and can confuse because both types of proxies process requests and response. A better approach to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy servers is to analyze the requirements of the app you're building.

Reverse proxy is an important element in the creation of a system to support websites on the internet. They serve as servers whenever you connect to the Internet.

Forward proxy can be useful to display customers' information for your own use, or even in a workplace. The forward proxy is a representation of the information of the customer every time you interact with them on the internet.

A distinction based upon use case instead of focusing solely on naming conventions that are similar will make it easier to avoid confusion.

Conclusion

This article clarified the definition of a proxy. There are two kinds of proxy being the forward and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and an exploration of beneficial attributes were used to distinguish forward proxies from reverse proxy. If you're interested in exploring the role in proxy server, follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as web server and reverse proxy in Apache in Ubuntu 20.04 Server. Ubuntu 20.04 Server.