6 Lessons About Proxy Sites You Need To Learn Before You Hit 40

An proxy, also known as a proxy server also referred to a proxy server is software that functions as mediator between client and server on the internet. Without a proxy, a client could send a request for resources directly to a server and it would deliver direct to users who requested the resource. While this procedure is easy to comprehend and implement with proxy services, it may provide benefits in the form of enhanced performance, privacy, security, and more. As an additional layer of security, a proxy acts as a security guard to the internet between servers and clients.




It is generally accepted that the set of server hardware with installed proxy software is often known as a proxy server. In this post, we'll focus on proxy servers that are typically classified as software and within the context of web servers. We will provide a description of the two major kinds of proxies: the forward proxy and a reverse proxy. Each kind has its own usage scenario, which is often misunderstood due to the similar name convention.




This article will give you an idea of the types of proxy services and what their subtypes are as well as their value in standard setups. Through this article, you'll be able to understand how to recognize the situations where a reliable proxy can be beneficial and pick the right solution in between forward and reverse proxy depending on the circumstance.



Understanding Forward Proxies



A forward proxy, also called an open proxy serves as an intermediary for a client that is trying to transmit a request over the internet to a source server. In this case every attempt to send requests made by the user will be directed directly to the forward proxy. A forward proxy acting in the client's stead, will examine the request. First, it will determine whether the client is allowed be able to accept requests through this specific forward proxy. Then, it will deny any request, or redirect it to the original server. The client does not have direct access to the internet. It is able to access only the web pages that forward proxy grants the client access.




The most frequent applications of forward proxies is to improve privacy or security while using the internet. Forward proxy makes use of the internet as a client and in this process, it will use an alternative IP address to the original IP address of the client.




Based on the way it was configured, based on the way it's configured forward proxy could provide a range of features depending upon the configuration that allow you to:




Avoid tracking ads.


Circumvent surveillance.


You can determine limitations based on your geographic place of residence.




Forward proxies are also used in systems that offer central security as well as permission-based access, like at an office. The entire internet can be passed via an open forward proxy. administrators are able to limit access to specific users to the internet, which is protected by an common firewall. In lieu of having firewalls in place for the client layer which could include multiple machines with different configurations and users you can install a firewall at the forward proxy layer.




Be aware the forward proxy setting should be set manually for use however reverse proxies will be not considered from the clients. Depending on whether the IP address of the user is sent to the server where it originated via the forward proxy, privacy and security may be granted or kept in the dark.




There are many options to consider for forward proxy options:




Apache is a well-known open-source web server, which provides forward-looking proxy features.


Nginx: Another well-known open-source server used for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.


Squid: A free forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. It's not the entire web server. Read our tutorial on how to install Squid proxy to connect privately within 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 connections. You might also want to examine how you can set up Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04



Understanding Reverse Proxies



A reverse proxy is the web server, which takes care of the incoming requests of customers on its behalf. The web server can represent a single or multiple servers. It may also be an application server such as Gunicorn. In any of these situations an application request is made from a user via the internet. In most cases, the request would be directed directly to the server, which will provide the information the client is requesting. A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, and separates your website server from communication with the internet's open.




From the perspective of the individual client's viewpoint reverse proxy is a process that reverse proxy isn't different from connecting to a Web server through direct communication. It's the same thing and the client is unable to discern the distinction. The client requests the resource, which is followed by receiving it without the need for any additional configuration needed for the end user.




Reverse proxies provide functions like:




A centralized layer of security to guard the server.


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


New caching functionality has been added.




While central security is a benefit of both reverse and forward proxy, reverse proxies do this function to just the layer of web servers, but not to the client layer. instead of being focused on the upkeep of firewalls on the layer of web servers which could contain multiple servers and different configurations, the majority of firewall security is targeted towards the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, removing the responsibility of interacting with firewalls and interacting with clients who are far from web servers permits them to focus on serving the requirements of their customers.




In the case of multiple servers running through reverse proxy reverse proxy is also responsible to direct which requests will go via which server. There could be multiple web servers offering the same content, each providing different types of services, or a mix of the two. These servers can be using the HTTP protocol that is a standard web server, however they could include different protocols for application servers like FastCGI. You can also configure reverse proxy settings 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 placement on top of web servers, by providing the capability to store data. Large static assets can be configured with caching policy to avoid the web server from being hit with every request. Some solutions providing the option to serve static files directly without connecting to Web servers in any form. In addition reverse proxy solutions can manage compressing these assets.




The popular Nginx web server is also used as a popular reverse proxy option. While there is a similar feature in the Apache web server does have reverse proxy capabilities as an additional feature available to Apache whereas Nginx was originally designed for and is focused on reverse proxy functionality.



Differentiating Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Usage Situations



Because "forward" along with "reverse" conveys the notion of directionality, and false comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic The labels can be confusing because both kinds of proxies process requests and responses. In addition, the most effective method to distinguish between both reverse and forward proxies is to research the specifications of the application you're creating.




A reverse proxy could be beneficial when you are developing a solution to serve websites via the internet. They act as your web servers when you interact with the internet.




Forward proxy is helpful when displayed before customers for your own usage or in a work setting. They are a representation of your customer's traffic through any interaction via the internet.




The use 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 with the two main kinds: the forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Practical applications and a review of the benefits were used to determine forward proxies and reverse proxies. If you're interested in learning more about implementation of proxies then you should check out our tutorial on how you can configure Nginx as a reverse proxy and web server proxy on Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 Server.



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