proxy or proxy is also known as a proxy server software that acts in the middle between client and server via the internet. Without proxy, a user would make a request any source directly through the server, and then the server will deliver an item directly for the requester. While this is a simple method to comprehend and utilize, but the addition of proxy servers could provide advantages in terms of more performance, privacy, security, and much more. Alongside adding a layer of protection it also serves as a security guard for the internet between users and servers.

The package of server hardware along with installed proxy software is also often referred to as proxy servers. This article we will focus on proxies traditionally classified as software, and also in the context of web servers. The article will give a detailed breakdown of the two main types of proxies. These are the forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each one has its own use scenario that is often misunderstood due to the overlapping name convention.

This article will provide you with some understanding about what proxies and their subtypes are as well as the ways they are useful in a variety of configurations. Through this article, you'll learn to recognize the situations where the use of proxies is advantageous, and make the right option between reverse and forward proxy for any particular situation.

Understanding Forward Proxies

A forward proxy also referred to in the form of the open proxy serves as an agent for a user who is trying to send a request through the internet to a source server. In this case, every attempt to send requests made by the user will be routed through the forward proxy. The forward proxy, in the place of the client, will examine the request. It will first determine if the client has been authorized to accept requests from this specific forward proxy. Then, it will either refuse requests or redirect them to the source server. It's not able direct connection directly to internet. It only has access to what the forward proxy permits it to access.

A common use for forward proxy is the need for greater security or privacy when using the internet. Forward proxy connects to the internet as a client and in this process, it uses an alternative IP address in addition to your client's IP address.

Depending on how it's been configured in accordance with the method it was set up forward proxy can provide a wide range of options that allow you to:

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  Avoid tracking ads.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You can determine restrictions based upon your geolocation.
  
  

Forward proxies are also used in systems that give central security as well as access permissions, for instance at work. The entire internet can go by an open forward proxy, administrators are able to grant access for specific individuals to access the web, and this is blocked by the typical firewall. Instead of having firewalls at this layer of client, which may be used by multiple computers with different types of environments and users, a firewall could be found within this forward proxy layer.

It is important to know that forward proxies have to be manually setup for them to be used however reverse proxy servers will not be noticed by users. Based on the fact that the IP address of a user is transmitted to the original server via the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept secret.

There are numerous possibilities to think about when considering forward proxy services.

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  Apache: A popular open-source webserver that provides forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open source web server that comes with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: An free forward proxy which uses an HTTP protocol. It's not part of the entire web server. We have a step-by-step guide for setting up Squid proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP, making it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer traffic. You could also examine how to set up the Dante proxy that will allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy acts as an intermediary to a web server that handles any requests that come in from clients its place. This server can serve as a single server or a number of servers. It could also contain an application server like Gunicorn. In any event, it's possible to get a request from a customer through the internet at large. In most cases the request will be directed directly to the web server hosting the data the customer is seeking. Instead, a reverse proxy works as an intermediary in order to block your server from communications with the internet's public.

From a consumer's point of perspective, which is also from a user's perspective, interacting via reverse proxy isn't any different from interacting with the server by itself. It's basically the same as Web server and client isn't able to tell the difference. The client is able to request the resource, and is then provided with it, with no extra configuration required from the user.

Reverse proxies grant features like:

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  Security centralized for web servers.
  
  
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  The direction of traffic that is incoming according to rules you make.
  
  
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  A new feature for caching has been added.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage for both forward and reverse proxy services, reverse-proxies provide this service to only the layer of web servers but not the layer of clients. Instead of implementing firewalls at the layer of web servers which might contain multiple servers with various configurations, most of the firewall security is centered at the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, getting rid of the necessity of interfacing with firewalls and interacting with requests from clients that do not use web servers lets them concentrate on providing the needs of their customers.

If there are multiple servers being hosted through reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also is responsible for directing the requests to which server. Multiple web servers could be offering the identical service, however each having different resources, or a combination of both. They can use the HTTP protocol similar to traditional web servers however, they could also be outfitted with protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy that directs customers to specific server depending on the resource they are looking for or to adhere to specific rules regarding traffic load.

Reverse proxy solutions can also benefit from their positioning on top of web servers through caching capabilities. Large static assets can be configured with caching rules in order to avoid hitting web servers with every request. Some solutions even allowing users to serve static content directly without connecting to a web server at all. Furthermore, the reverse proxy is able to manage compression of these files.

The popular Nginx web server is also used as a popular reverse proxy service. While it's real that Apache web server comes with reverse proxy feature, it's an alternative option. Apache in contrast to Nginx was designed initially to focus on reverse proxy functionality.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases

Since "forward" and "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality, they can lead to false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic. The labels are confusing because both kinds of proxies handle the flow of requests as well as responses. An alternative approach to distinguish between forward and reverse proxy services is to take into account the needs of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is an important element when designing an application that can deliver web-based applications on the internet. They are your web servers during any interaction with the internet.

Forward proxy applications are useful when they are displayed in front of clients to use for personal purposes, or even in a working environment. They can be used to represent your client's traffic as you interact on the internet.

A case-based approach to differentiation instead of focusing solely on the most common names will ensure that you don't get confused.

Conclusion

This article clarified what is a "proxy" is, with the two most common kinds of them being forward and reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of beneficial features were utilized to distinguish between forward proxy and reverse proxy. If you're considering how to set up proxies, read our guide on how to set up Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy to Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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