The word "proxy" refers to the concept of a proxy also referred to a proxy server which is a server application that serves to act as an intermediary for client and server on the internet. Without proxy servers, users could send a request for resources direct to the server, then the server could provide the resource directly back at the requester's expense. Although this method is easy to understand and use, using proxies has benefits including improved performance, privacy, security, and much more. In addition to providing a pass-through layer, the proxy acts as a security layer for the internet between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the combined system of server hardware with proxy software installed is also often referred too as a proxy server. This article will concentrate on proxies typically considered to be software, and specifically, in relation with web server. This article will give details of two types of proxies, which are forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has its own use case, often confused due to the overlapping terminology.

This article will give you the knowledge of the different types of proxies, which subtypes they belong to and how they function in a variety of configurations. Through this article, you'll be able to identify situations in which the use of proxies is advantageous, and choose the correct solution between forward proxy and reverse proxy in any circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy sometimes referred to an open proxy acts as an intermediary for a client trying to send a request over the internet to connect to a source server. In this case, the entire process of sending requests made by the user is instead transmitted via the forward proxy. This forward proxy acting on behalf as the customer, is able to examine into the request. In the beginning, it will decide if this client is able to accept requests through this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either reject requests or redirect them to the original server. The client is not allowed direct access to the internet. It is only able to access what the forward proxy permits it to access.

The most common reason for using forward proxies is to gain more privacy or security when using the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as the client, and in that process it may use an alternative IP address in addition to the client's initial IP address.

Based on how it's been configured in accordance with the configuration, a forward proxy could offer a range of features and allow 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 restrictions based on the geolocation of your home.
  
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Forward proxies also are used in systems of centralized security as well as permission-based access, such as at a workplace. When all internet traffic passes through a forward proxy open layer, administrators are able to grant access to only a few people to connect on the internet, and this is blocked by a common firewall. Instead of creating firewalls on the layer of clients which can be used by a variety of computer systems with different configurations and users and environments, a firewall could be set up at the layer that forwards proxy traffic.

It is important to remember that forward proxy servers must be configured manually and reverse proxies may be ignored by the client. Depending on the type the IP address that a user is transmitted to the server from which it came from via the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or denied.

There are several options to think about forward proxy options:

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  Apache A popular open-source, well-known web server that provides forward proxy features.
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.
  
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  Squid: An open-source forward proxy using the HTTP protocol. It's not the complete Web Server System. You can refer to our step-by-step guide to install Squid proxy to enable private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP which is better suited for usage in situations such as peer-topeer traffic. You may also want to learn how to configure the 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 its behalf. This web server can serve as a one server, or as a series of servers. It could also be used in the role of an application server such as Gunicorn. In any event the request will be made through the internet in general. Most often, the request will go directly to the server with what the client wants. The reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, protecting the server from direct contact via the web's public.

From a user's point of perspective, the experience of working with reverse proxy isn't a lot different from working with the server on its own. It's exactly the same thing, however the client can't discern the difference. The client is able to request the resource and is provided with it, without any additional configuration required from the client.

Reverse proxy providers provide services such as:

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  Centralized security for the web server layer.
  
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  The direction of traffic coming in is by rules you have set.
  
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  The caching feature is now available to users.
  
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While centralized security can be a benefit of both forward and reverse proxies, reverse proxies provide this feature for the Web server layer but not the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls on Web server layers that could comprise multiple servers with various configurations, the majority of the firewall security is focused at the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, getting rid of the hassle of dealing with firewalls as well as interacting with requests from clients that are not on web servers permits them to concentrate on meeting the requirements of their customers.

If there are multiple servers operating through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy is responsible for directing the requests to which server. There may be many web servers offering the same service, each offering different kinds of resources, or a combination of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol, which is a standard web server. But, they may also include application server protocols such as FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy settings to send users to a particular server based on the service they require or to adhere to specific guidelines for traffic load.

Reverse proxies also have the ability to benefit from their positioning ahead of web servers, giving them the ability to cache data. Massive static resources can be managed by caching rules so that they avoid Web servers from getting hit every time a request is made. Certain solutions allow you to upload static files directly, without connecting to the web server in any way. Furthermore the reverse proxy can handle the compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server can also be an effective reverse proxy solution. While you can use Nginx, the Apache web server has reverse proxy features as an alternative option for Apache while Nginx was initially designed and is specifically focused on reverse proxy features.

Differentiating Forward and Reverse Proxy Use Cases

Because "forward" and "reverse" are associated with directionality, and false connections with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, these labels could be confusing as both kinds of proxies can handle requests and responses. Another method of separating between reverse and forward proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're developing.

Reverse proxy could be useful when building a solution to serve web applications on the internet. They are your web servers for all interactions over the internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when it is displayed in front of customers either for your own use or within the corporate setting. It is a way to protect the information of your client whenever you interact on the internet.

The ability to differentiate by the use of case instead of focusing solely on standard names can aid you in making sure that there is no confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained the meaning of a proxy having two kinds: the reverse proxy and forward proxy. Practical examples of use as well as an examination of the most useful attributes were used to identify the two kinds of proxy which are reverse and forward. If you're interested to learn more about the possibilities of proxies, we recommend that you go through our guide on how you can configure Nginx to function as an Internet server and reverse proxy on Apache using an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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