A brief Course In Proxy Sites

A proxy, also known as a proxy often referred to as a proxy server is software that serves as an intermediary between client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a client could send a request for resources directly to a server, and it will serve direct to users who requested the resource. While this process is simple to comprehend and implement with proxies, it can offer benefits in terms of improved performance as well as privacy, security and more. In addition to providing a layer of pass-through proxy, it acts as a guardian for the internet, separating servers and users.




It is generally accepted that the bundle of server hardware that is installed with proxy software is often called a proxy server. In this article, we'll examine proxy servers which are usually classified as software as well as within the context of web servers. We will provide a description of the two primary types of proxies: the forward proxy as well as a reverse proxy. Each type has a different application, and is frequently confused due to the similar name convention.




This article will provide you with an idea of the types of proxy services and what their subtypes, as well as their significance in common setups. Through the article you'll be able to understand how to recognize the situations where a reliable proxy could be useful and pick the right solution in between forward and reverse proxy depending on the circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy, also known as an open proxy acts as an intermediary for clients who are trying to transmit a request over the internet to a source server. In this instance, any request sent by the client will be sent direct to the forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in the client's place, will review the request. It will first decide if the client's permitted be able to accept requests through this specific forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request or forward it to the server that originally received it. The client does not have direct access to the internet. It can access only the web pages that forward proxy grants its access.




A very popular applications of forward proxies is to improve privacy or security while using the internet. Forward proxy utilizes the internet as a client, and in the process, it will use an alternative IP address to the original IP address of the client.




Based on how it was configured, based on the way it's configured forward proxy could provide a range of features depending on the way it's configured, which allows users to:




Beware of ads that track you.


Circumvent surveillance.


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




Forward proxies can also be used in systems that provide central security as well as access to users based on permissions, for instance at a workplace. Internet traffic can go via an open forward proxy. administrators can restrict access to only certain clients to the internet that is protected by a common firewall. In lieu of having firewalls in place on the client layer, which may include multiple computers with various configurations and users, you can set up an firewall that is located in the front proxy layer.




Note that forward proxy settings need to be manually set up to use however reverse proxies will be not considered by the client. Depending on whether an IP address belonging to the user is passed to the server from where it originated by the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity may be granted or kept secret.




There are a variety of alternatives to think about when it comes to forward proxy:




Apache is an well-known open-source web server that provides forward proxy capabilities.


Nginx: Another widely used open-source web hosting server with forward proxy features.


Squid: An open-source forward proxy that utilizes an HTTP protocol. It's not the entire web server. Take a look at our guide on how you can install Squid proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.


Dante is a forward proxy that utilizes the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP to make it more suited for cases like peer-to-peer traffic. You may also want to know how to configure Dante proxy for connection to private networks in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy is the web server, which takes care of the incoming requests of customers on behalf of. The web server can be a single, or multiple servers. It could even be an application server, such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations an application request comes by a user on the internet. Most of the time the request will be sent directly to the server, which will provide the information the client is requesting. In contrast, a reverse proxy serves as an intermediary, and separates your server from interaction with the internet's open.




From the perspective of the individual client's viewpoint reverse proxy is a process that reverse proxy isn't any different than communicating with Web server in direct communication. It's exactly the same, and the client cannot discern the difference. The client requests a resource, which is followed by its receipt without the need for any extra configuration required by the user.




Reverse proxies provide functions like:




A centralized layer of security to guard the server.


Incoming traffic is directed on the rules you decide to define.


New feature added to caching.




While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxy adds this function to the web server layer, but not the client layer. instead of being focused on the upkeep of firewalls on the server level, which may contain many servers and various configurations, the majority of the firewall security is targeted on the reverse proxy level. Also, the removal of the responsibility of interfacing with firewalls and interacting with clients distant from web servers allows them to concentrate on delivering the requirements of their customers.




If there are multiple servers existing through a reverse proxy reverse proxy also is responsible for directing which requests are routed to which servers. There could be multiple web servers offering identical content, but offering different kinds of services or a combination of the two. These servers may be using the HTTP protocol, which is a typical web server, however they could contain other protocols used by application servers, such as FastCGI. It is also possible to set up a reverse proxy to direct users to a particular server based on the resource requested or to adhere to certain guidelines regarding the load of traffic.




Reverse proxies may also take advantage of their position on top of web servers, as they have the ability to store information. Large static assets can be configured with caching policies to avoid the web server from being hit with every request. Some solutions providing the option to directly serve static assets without having to contact the web server in any way. In addition, the reverse proxy can manage compressing these assets.




The popular Nginx web server also functions as a well-known reverse proxy option. Although there is an equivalent feature available in the Apache web server, it has a reverse proxy features as an additional feature available to Apache however Nginx was originally designed for and is focused on the reverse proxy feature.



Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Cases



Since "forward" along with "reverse" are associated with directionality, as well as misleading comparisons to "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic These labels could be confusing as both kinds of proxies process requests and responses. In addition, the most effective method of separating between a forward and reverse proxy is to look at the specifications of the application you're developing.




Reverse proxy is helpful when building an application that can serve websites on the internet. They represent your web servers when you use the internet.




Forward proxy is beneficial when they are placed in front of customers for the purpose of your own use or in a business setting. They are a representation of your customer's traffic when they interact with the internet.




The use of case-based differentiation instead of focusing solely on commonly used naming conventions can help in eliminating confusion.



Conclusion



In this article, we explained what aproxy is, and compared it to the two most common types of proxy: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the attributes that are beneficial were used to identify forward proxies as well as reverse proxies. If you're looking to know more about implementation of proxies then you should check out our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as reverse and web server proxy for Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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