A proxy or proxy server. It is software which acts as an intermediary for client and server on the internet. Without proxy servers, a user would send a request for resources directly to a server and it would then serve the resource directly back to the user. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement however, the addition of proxy servers can bring advantages including improved performance and privacy, security and more. In addition to providing pass-through, the proxy serves as a guardian for the internet, separating clients from servers.

The combination of server hardware coupled with installed proxy software is also commonly described as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxies typically considered to be software, and in the context of web servers. There will be a discussion of the two major types of proxies, one being forward proxy and the other being a forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own application and is often confused due to the resemblance of namesake convention.

This article will give you an idea of the what proxies and subtypes are in terms of their importance for the common setups. After reading the article carefully, you'll discern situations in which the use of proxies is advantageous and choose the best choice between reverse proxy and forward proxy depending on the circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy, also referred to by the name of the open proxy is the agent of a user who would like to send an internet request to an the server which originated it. In this case every attempt to send requests from the client's side will be sent directly to forward proxy. Forward proxy in place of the client will examine the request. It will first find out if the client is authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then deny any request, or redirect it to the origin server. The client is not able to have direct access to the internet It can only access what forward proxy permits it to connect to.

The most common reason to utilize forward proxies is the increased privacy or anonymity on the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as clients, and, in this manner it can use an IP address different from the original IP address used by the client.

Depending on how it's been configured the forward proxy will grant a number of features in addition to the ability to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on your location.
  
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Forward proxies can also be utilized in systems that provide central security and access to users based on permissions, for instance at work. When all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy, an administrator is in a position to grant only specific clients to access the internet using a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls to protect the client layer which may include multiple computers that have different settings and users and environments the firewall is placed in a forward proxy layer.

It is important to remember to set forward proxy preferences have to be manually set up to permit the forward proxy to function in order to use them and reverse proxy settings are not able to be noticed by the user. Based on whether or not your IP address a user is transmitted to the server that originated it via the forward proxy privacy and security can be granted or not.

There are many alternatives to take into consideration when considering forward proxy alternatives:

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  Apache An open source well-known web server that has forward proxy functions.
  
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  Nginx: Another renowned open-source server for web hosting that has forward proxy functions.
  
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  Squid: A no-cost forward proxy that runs on an HTTP protocol. It's not the full webserver system. It is possible to refer to our guide on the best method of configuring Squid proxy to allow secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that makes use of the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it better suited for scenarios like peer-to -peer traffic. It is also possible to learn how to configure Dante proxy for secure connections within Ubuntu 20.04
  
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Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy functions as an intermediary to web servers and takes care of requests from clients for the web server. Web servers can function as a one server or a number of servers. It could also be an application server such as Gunicorn. In any event, an application request is made through the internet at large. Most of the time, the request will go directly to the web server which hosts what the client is searching for. The reverse proxy acts as an intermediary in order to block your server from interaction to the open internet.

From the perspective of a user's perspective, using reverse proxy isn't different from connecting to the web server directly. It's basically identical, but the user can't discern the difference. Client makes a request for an item, and is given it, without any extra configuration required from the user.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  The server on the internet is protected centrally.
  
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  Directing traffic according to rules you set.
  
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  Added functionality for caching.
  
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While central security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxies provide this feature only to only the server layer and not to the client layer. instead of maintaining firewalls for Web server layers, which could include multiple servers with different configurations, the bulk in firewall protection is directed to the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of connecting to firewalls and interfacing with requests from clients off of web servers lets them concentrate on providing resources.

In the case of multiple servers that have a reverse proxy in place, the reverse proxy is also accountable for deciding what requests are directed to which server. There may be several web servers operating within the server each serving different kinds of resources or a combination of both. These servers could use the HTTP protocol similar to a conventional web server. They can also include protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also configure reverse proxy servers to direct the clients towards specific servers based on the service being requested or to adhere to certain guidelines regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies are also able to make use of their location on top of web servers with the help of caching. The large static files can be configured with caching rules to avoid hitting web servers with every request, with some options even allowing you to provide static files without having to connect to the web server in any way. Furthermore, the reverse proxy can manage the compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx webserver is a well-known reverse proxy option. However, the Apache web server is also available equipped with reverse proxy option as an additional function which is accessible for Apache however Nginx was originally designed to and is focused on reverse proxy functions.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from reverse Proxy Use Cases

Since "forward" along with "reverse" are both associated with an impression of directionality, as well as misleading comparisons with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic. These labels can be confusing, as both types of proxies can manage 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 to use when designing a solution to host web applications on the internet. They are your web servers during any interaction through the Internet.

Forward proxy is a great tool to use if you're facing clients for personal usage, or even in a professional setting. They represent your client traffic when you are on the internet.

A distinction based on use cases instead of using the standard name conventions can aid you in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained what a proxy is and the two kinds of proxy being the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of its use as well as a discussion of most useful features were used to distinguish forward proxies from reverse proxies. If you're looking to learn how to set up proxies, we suggest you go through our guide on how to set up Nginx as an internet server and reverse proxy using Apache on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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