An proxy often referred to as proxy server software that functions as an intermediary between a client and a server on the internet. Without the use of a proxy, an individual will send a request for an item directly to a server, and the server will deliver the resource directly to the user. While this is a simple method to understand and implement, the addition of proxies could bring advantages in terms of increased performance security, privacy, and much more. Alongside providing a layer of security, proxies act as a security guardian of the internet, separating clients from servers.




There is a general consensus that the set of servers and the hardware that is used along with proxy software is often referred to proxy servers. However, this article will be focusing on the proxies that are typically categorized as software and within the context of web servers. We will provide a brief overview of the two primary types that are forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each has its own usage and can be confusing due to the same name convention.




This article will provide you with an idea of proxy's purpose and what subtypes they are and how they function in common configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to identify the scenarios that are the best to utilize a proxy and choose the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy, in any situation.



Understanding Forward Proxies



In other words forward proxy also referred to as open proxy. In other words, an open proxy is a proxy of a user who would like to send an internet request to an source server. In this case, every request made by the client will instead be routed directly via the forward proxy. This forward proxy in the instead of the user, will look into the request. It will first determine if this user is authorized receive requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it decides if it wants to refuse a request or forward it to the original server. The client is unable to directly access the internet. It only has access to what the forward proxy grants it access to.




The most common reason to use forward proxies is to improve privacy or security on the internet. Forward proxy allows you to access the internet in place of a client, and, in this way, it may employ an alternative IP address to the IP address originally used by the client.




Based on the way it was set up in the past, forward proxy servers can provide a range of choices and permit you to:




Avoid ad tracking.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine restrictions based upon your geographic place of residence.




Forward proxies may also be used in systems that provide central security and authorization based access, for example, in the workplace. When all internet traffic passes via an open forward proxy layer administrators can limit access to those clients who are that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of having firewalls in place to protect the client layer, which could include a variety of computers with different environments and users, the firewall can be placed into the forward proxy layer.




Note that the forward proxy setting have to be manually set up to use and reverse proxy settings can be ignored by clients. Depending on the type of IP address of a user is passed to the original server via forward proxy privacy and anonymity can be granted or not.




There are several possibilities to consider when it comes to forward proxy options:




Apache is a well-known open-source web server with forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx: Another renowned open-source webserver that has forward proxy features.


Squid is a free forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. This doesn't offer an entire Web server service. Follow our step-by-step instructions to set up Squid proxy to allow private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


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



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy serves as a proxy for web servers, which handles the incoming requests of clients on its behalf. The web server may include one server or several servers. Also, it could serve as an application server like Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios the request for an application comes through the internet in general. In the majority of cases, the request will be directed directly to the server that hosts the data the user is seeking. A reverse proxy works as an intermediary, protecting Web server from any direct interaction with the web's public.




From a consumer's point view that is a user's viewpoint, interfacing using a reverse proxy is identical to using an internet server direct. It's exactly the same thing, however the client cannot see the difference. The client asks for an item and receives it, with no additional configuration required on the part of the client.




Reverse proxies can provide features such as:




Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.


Controlling traffic inbound based on rules you can design.


The caching functionality was added to the application.




While central security is an advantage for both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies provide this feature to only the server layer, and it is not available to the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls on Web server layers, which can contain a variety of servers with different configurations, the majority of firewall security can be targeted at the reverse proxy layer. Also, the removal of the responsibility of interacting with a firewall as well as dealing with client requests outside of web servers permits them to focus on meeting the requirements of their clients.




When there is a multitude of servers hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is responsible to direct which requests are routed to the server. There may be several web servers providing the same content, offering different kinds of content or a mixture of both. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol similar to an ordinary web server however, they may also use different protocols for applications servers, such as FastCGI. You can also set up a reverse proxy to redirect clients to specific servers based upon the requested resource or comply with specific rules pertaining to traffic load.




Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position ahead of web servers, by providing caching capabilities. Massive static resources can be configured with caching rules to avoid hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions even allowing users to serve static files directly without having to connect to the web server even once. Additionally, the reverse proxy can handle compression of these assets.




The well-known Nginx web server can also function as a very popular reverse proxy service. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy option, the Apache web server is also able to function with a reverse proxy feature, it is an additional attribute of Apache however Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on the reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Examples



Because "forward" or "reverse" have a connotation of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" or "outgoing" traffic the labels could be confusing, since both types of proxy deal with requests and responses. The best way to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to examine the specifications of the application that you are building.




Reverse proxy is beneficial when creating an application that runs web-based services over the internet. They act as your web server when you interact on the internet.




Forward proxy can be beneficial when it is displayed before clients to use for personal reasons or in a corporate environment. They are your client's representative when you connect to the internet.




The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing on the common naming conventions can aid in avoidance of confusion.



Conclusion



This article defined the meaning of a proxy, which includes two kinds that are forward and reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the most beneficial characteristics were employed to identify between reverse and forward proxies. If you're interested to learn more about how to implement proxy services, check out our guide on how you can configure Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy using Apache in Ubuntu 20.04. Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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