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An proxy is also known as a proxy server is software that functions as an intermediary between a client and server on the internet. Without the use of a proxy, a user would send a request to something directly through a server and the server would then deliver the resource directly to the client. Though this approach is simple to grasp and implement, the addition of proxy servers can offer advantages in terms enhanced performance, privacy, security, and many more. Alongside offering a security layer, proxies act as a security guardian for the internet between clients and servers.




There is a general consensus that the server hardware and proxy software is also frequently known as proxy servers. This article will be focusing on the proxies that are typically categorized as software, and in the case of web servers. We will provide a brief overview of the two main types that are forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has its own use and can be confusing because of a similar name convention.




This article will give you an understanding of proxy's purpose and what their subtypes are and how they work in the common configurations. Through this article, you'll discover how to identify the scenarios that are the best to use a proxy, and decide on the appropriate choice between forward and reverse proxy in any circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



In another way a forward proxy, also referred to as or an open proxy acts as a representative of a customer who wishes to forward a request via the internet to an source server. In this scenario every request from the client's side will be sent straight through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in in the place of the customer will review the request. First, it will determine if the client has the right to receive requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then decide if it is authorized to deny a request and forward it to the original server. The client is unable to access directly the internet. It can only access what forward proxy allows its access.




The most common reason to use forward proxies is to gain greater privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy allows you to connect to the internet in place of a client, and as such, it may utilize an alternative IP address to the IP address originally that the client uses.




Based on the way it was previously configured forward proxy servers may give you a variety of options. They allow you to:




Avoid ad tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine limitations based on your geographical location.




Forward proxies may also be used in systems that provide central security and permission-based access, for example, at work. When all internet traffic passes via an open forward proxy layer, administrators can restrict access to only specific clients on the internet that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls in place to protect the client layer, which could include a variety of machines that have different user and operating environments, the firewall could be put within the forward proxy layer.




Note that the forward proxy setting have to be manually set up to use, while reverse proxy settings are ignored by clients. Depending on the type of IP address of the client is transmitted to the source server through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted or not.




There are a variety of options to take into consideration for forward proxies




Apache: A popular open-source web server that has forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another renowned open-source webserver, this one with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is a free forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. Squid isn't a complete internet server. Follow our step-by-step instructions to set up Squid proxy to permit private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy which runs the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP which makes it better appropriate for scenarios such as peer-topeer traffic. It is also possible to look at how you can install a Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves as a representative of web servers that handle the incoming requests of clients on its behalf. The web server may include a server or multiple servers. Also, it could be used as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations, an application request is made through the internet generally. Most of the time, the request will be directed directly to the server that hosts the data the user is asking for. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, protecting Web server from any direct interactions with the public internet.




From a consumer's point view that is an individual's view, connecting using a reverse proxy is no any different from using direct connections to an internet server. It's exactly the same thing, however the user is unable to discern the difference. The client requests an item and receives it without any further configuration needed from the client.




Reverse proxies offer features like:




Secured centrally for Web Server Layer.


Controlling traffic inbound based on rules that you can set up.


The caching feature has been added to the app.




While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this benefit only to the server layer and not the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running on the web server layer that can contain a variety of servers and various configurations, most of the firewall security is targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interacting with firewalls as well as dealing with client requests outside of web servers permits them to concentrate on providing the needs of their customers.




If there are multiple servers hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is also responsible to direct which requests are routed to the server. There could be multiple web servers providing the same content, providing different types of resource or a mix of both. They can use the HTTP protocol exactly the same way as a traditional web server, but they can include other protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also set up reverse proxy to redirect clients to specific servers in accordance with the requested resource or adhere to specific rules for traffic load.




Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position ahead of web servers, by providing the ability to cache. The large static files can be set up by using caching rules in order to avoid the web server from being hit with each request. There are solutions even allowing you to serve static assets directly without connecting to the web server once. Furthermore reverse proxy solutions can handle compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server is also used as a very popular reverse proxy service. Although Apache can also be a reverse proxy solution, it is not a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server also comes with reverse proxy feature that is an added attribute of Apache however Nginx was originally designed for and focuses on its reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Examples



Since "forward" or "reverse" are associated with directionality, as well as false comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing because both types of proxy deal with requests and responses. A better approach to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy could be useful when designing an application that runs web-based applications over the internet. They act as your web server when you interact on the web.




Forward proxy can be beneficial when it is placed in front of customers for personal use, or in an office environment. They are your client's representative whenever you use the internet.




The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing on commonly used naming conventions can help in eliminating confusion.



Conclusion



The article clarified the meaning of a proxy, which includes two kinds: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical applications as well as a summary of the beneficial features were used to distinguish between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested to learn more about how to implement proxy services, check out our guide on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy with Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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