The word "proxy" is a reference to a proxy also referred to a proxy server, a software which serves as an intermediary between a client and a server on the internet. Without the use of proxy servers, users can send a request straight to servers and the server would then provide the resource directly back to the user. While this approach is straightforward to understand and use, adding proxies offers advantages like improved performance, privacy, security, and many more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy functions as a security guardian of the internet between servers and clients.

Generally speaking, the combined equipment of servers with proxy software installed is often referred to as a proxy server. This article will concentrate on proxies which are generally thought of to be software, and specifically, in relation to servers on the internet. The article will provide an explanation of two types of proxies, which are forward proxy and the other a reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type has a different application, and is often confused due to the overlapping terminology.

This article will give you the understanding of the different types of proxies, what their subtypes are and how they work in a variety of configurations. Through this guide, you'll be able to determine the circumstances in which a proxy is beneficial, and choose the correct solution between forward and reverse proxy in any circumstance.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Forward proxy sometimes called an open proxy, acts as an intermediary for clients trying to send a request over the internet to an source server. In this scenario, the entire attempt to send requests made by the user will instead be made through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in place as the customer, is able to look at the request. At the beginning, it will decide whether this client is able to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. It will then reject requests or redirect them to the server that originated it. The client is not capable of having directly access to internet. It can access only what forward proxy allows the client to connect.

One of the most frequent uses for forward proxies is to gain more privacy or security on the internet. A forward proxy accesses the internet as a client, and in that process it may use an alternative IP address to that of the client's initial IP address.

Based on the way it has been configured in accordance with the configuration, a forward proxy could provide a variety of functions and let you:

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  Avoid tracking ads.
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
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  Find restrictions based on your geolocation.
  
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Forward proxies can also be used in systems of centralized security and permission-based access like in a workplace. If all internet traffic flows through a forward proxy open layer administrators are able to grant access to only a few individuals to access the web. This is filtered by an common firewall. Instead of establishing security firewalls at the user layer that can be used by several computers that have different configurations, environment, the firewall may be added to the layer that forwards proxy traffic.

It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxies must be configured manually and reverse proxies can be ignored by the client. Depending on the type IP address of a client is sent to the server from which it originated through the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or denied.

There are several options to think about for forward proxy:

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  Apache A popular open-source, well-known web server that offers 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 is an open-source forward proxy based on the HTTP protocol. It's not the full web server system. You can refer to our step-by-step instructions to install Squid proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
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  Dante Forward Proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP this makes it better suited for usage in situations such as peer-topeer traffic. You might 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 serves as an intermediary for web servers, which handles incoming requests from customers on its behalf. This server can function as a one server, or a number of servers. It could also be used as an application server such as Gunicorn. In any event the request will be made via the internet at large. In most cases, the request will go directly to the server and include the information the user wants. Reverse proxy, however, acts as an intermediary, protecting the web server from direct contact with the internet's open.

From a user's point of view the experience of interacting with reverse proxy isn't a lot different from working with the server on its own. It's exactly the same but the client can't distinguish between the two. The client is able to request the resource, and is provided with it, without any additional configuration required by the client.

Reverse proxy providers offer options like:

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  Centralized security for the web server layer.
  
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  Traffic coming into your site is routed by rules you have set.
  
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  The caching functionality has been added to the app.
  
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While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse proxy providers this service at the layer of web servers, but not the client layer. instead of having to maintain firewalls at Web server layers, which could contain multiple servers with various configurations, the majority of firewall security can be focused at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, getting rid of the burden of interacting with firewalls and interacting with requests from clients outside of web servers lets them concentrate on the needs of their customers.

If there are several servers working through a reverse proxy the reverse proxy is responsible for directing which requests go to which server. There may be several web servers offering the same service, each offering various kinds of resources or a mix of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol to function as a traditional web server. But, they may also include application server protocols like FastCGI. It is possible to configure reverse proxy servers to redirect users to a specific server based on the service being requested or to adhere to specific rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxies are also able to benefit from their position ahead of web servers, giving them the ability to cache data. Massive static resources can be managed using caching rules, so that they avoid the web server from being hit every time a request is made. Certain solutions allow you to offer static files directly by not connecting with the website server. In addition the reverse proxy can handle the compression of these assets.

The well-known Nginx web server can also be an efficient reverse proxy solution. Although it, Apache web server with reverse proxy capabilities but it's an additional option for Apache however Nginx was originally designed for and specifically designed for reverse proxy features.

The distinction between Between Forward and Reverse Proxy Cases

Because "forward" and "reverse" have associations with directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the labels can be confusing since both types of proxies are capable of handling requests as well as responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxies is to examine the specifications of the application you're developing.

A reverse proxy is beneficial when designing an application to run web applications on the internet. They serve as your web servers in all interactions via the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when it is displayed before customers for your own use or within the corporate setting. They represent the client's information when you interact with them on the internet.

Differentiating by case of use instead of focusing on common names can help in avoidance of confusion.

Conclusion

The article explained the purpose of a proxy with two types: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical examples of use and an analysis of beneficial features were used to define the two types of proxies: forward and reverse. If you're interested to learn more about the advantages of proxies, we recommend that you go through our guide on how you can configure Nginx as an internet server as well as reverse proxy in Apache running on the Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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