A proxy is also known as proxy servers is software that acts as an intermediary between a client and server over the internet. Without a proxy, a user would send a request to an item directly to a server and the server would then deliver the item directly to the client. Although this method is easy to grasp and implement, the addition of proxies could offer advantages in terms improved performance, privacy, security, and more. Alongside providing a layer of security, proxies act as a security guardian for the internet between servers and clients.




The consensus is that the server hardware along with installed proxy software is also frequently referred to proxy servers. This article will be focusing on proxies typically classified as software and within the context of web servers. We will provide a brief overview of the two principal kinds, namely which are a forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each type has its own use that can cause confusion due to a similar naming convention.




This article will give you an idea of what proxies are and the subtypes of them, as well as how they function in common configurations. In this article, you'll discover how to identify the scenarios in which it is beneficial to use a proxy and make the right choice between forward and reverse proxy for any scenario.



Understanding Forward Proxies



In other words forward proxy also referred to as an open proxy serves as the representative of a client who wants to send an internet request to an source server. In this scenario every request from the client will instead be sent directly to the forward proxy. The forward proxy, acting in the place of the client will look into the request. It will first decide if the user is authorized receive requests from this particular forward proxy. Then, it decides if it wants to deny a request and send it back to the original server. The client is unable to access directly the internet. It only has access to what forward proxy allows its access.




The most common reason to utilize forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or security when surfing the internet. A forward proxy is able to access the internet in instead of a client and in this manner, it may employ a different IP address than the IP address originally utilized by the client.




Based on the way it was configured in the past forward proxy servers may provide a range of options and allow you to:




Beware of ad-tracker.


Circumvent surveillance.


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




Forward proxies can also be employed in systems that offer central security and permission-based access, such as at work. If all internet traffic flows through an open forward proxy,, administrators can restrict access to only specific clients on the internet that are filtered through a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls installed for the client layer which may comprise a range of devices that are different in environments and users, the firewall can be placed in the forward proxy layer.




Note that the forward proxy setting need to be manually configured for use in order to be used, while reverse proxy settings can be ignored by clients. Depending on the type of IP address of a user is transmitted to the source server through the forward proxy privacy and anonymity may be granted or not.




There are several possibilities to consider for forward proxies




Apache: A popular open-source web server with forward proxy functions.


Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver, this one with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid is a free forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. Squid isn't a complete internet server. Follow our step-by-step instructions to install Squid proxy to permit private connections in Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante forward proxy, which uses the SOCKS protocol, instead of HTTP this makes it more suitable for situations like peer-topeer traffic. You can also look into the procedure for installing an Dante proxy to connect privately in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy acts as a representation of web servers, which handles the incoming requests of clients in its place. Web servers can comprise one server or several servers. Additionally, it can be used as an application server like Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, the request for an application comes through the internet as a whole. In the majority of cases the request is directly sent to the web server with the information the client is asking for. A reverse proxy serves as an intermediary protecting Web servers from direct contact with the web's public.




From a consumer's point perspective, which is also a user's viewpoint, interfacing with a reverse proxy is identical to using direct connections to an internet server. It's exactly the same thing, however the user is unable to be able to discern the differences. The client makes a request for the resource, and is then provided with it, with no additional configuration required by the client.




Reverse proxies offer features like:




Centrally secured for Web Server Layer.


Controlling traffic that is inbound, based on rules you can design.


The caching feature has been added to the app.




While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxies offer this feature to only the server layer, and it is not available to the client layer. Instead of having firewalls running for servers on the internet,, which could contain multiple servers and various configurations, the majority of the firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility to interact with firewalls as well as interacting with client requests outside of web servers permits them to focus on meeting the requirements of their clients.




In the event that there's multiple servers being hosted by a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy is also responsible for directing what requests go to which server. There may be several web servers offering similar content or offering different kinds of content or a combination of both. They can use the HTTP protocol similar to a standard web server however they could also include different protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. You can also configure a reverse proxy to redirect the clients towards specific servers based on the requested resource or follow specific rules regarding traffic load.




Reverse proxies also can benefit from their position before web servers by delivering caching capabilities. The large static files can be set up by using caching rules in order to avoid hitting web servers with every request. There are solutions even allowing users to serve static files directly without having to connect to a web server even once. In addition, the reverse proxy can manage compression of these assets.




The popular Nginx web server also functions as a very popular reverse proxy option. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy service but Apache is a reverse proxy service. Apache web server is also equipped with a reverse proxy function as an additional characteristic of Apache however Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on its reverse proxy feature.



Distinguishing Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Examples



Because "forward" or "reverse" have a connotation of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing, since both types of proxy deal with requests and responses. An alternative method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxy is to examine the requirements of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy could be helpful when building a solution to provide web-based services over the internet. They serve as your web servers for when you use the web.




Forward proxy is useful when it is placed in front of customers for personal use or within a corporate environment. They represent your clients when you connect to the internet.




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



Conclusion



This article defined the meaning of a proxy with the two kinds: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the beneficial features were utilized to differentiate between forward and reverse proxies. If you're interested to learn more about how to set up proxy servers, you can refer to our guide on how to configure Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy with Apache using the Ubuntu 20.04 server.



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