A Pricey However Invaluable Lesson in Proxy Sites

proxy, also known as a proxy or proxy server is a server software that acts in the middle between client and server over the internet. In the absence of an intermediary users would make a request for an item directly to a server, and servers would deliver the resource directly back to the user. Although this approach is simple to grasp and use, adding proxies offers advantages such as increased security, performance, privacy, and much more. As a pass-through layer proxy is a gatekeeper for the internet between clients and servers.

In general, the bundled bundle of server hardware that includes proxy software is referred too as proxy servers. But, this article will focus on proxy servers which are typically understood as software, as well as ones that work in conjunction with web servers. This article will give a synopsis of the two types of proxy servers, which are forward and reverse proxy. forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Each has its own application scenario, and it is often misunderstood because of the same terminology.

This article will give you an understanding of what proxy services and their subtypes are, as well as how they are useful for the most common configurations. Through this article, you will be able to identify the scenarios where you could benefit from a proxy and identify the most suitable choice between reverse and forward proxy options in any given scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

A forward proxy, often called the open proxy is an agent used by a user who wishes to transmit a request over the internet to an the server which originated the request. In this situation, it's the case that all requests made by the user would prefer to be routed directly towards the forward proxy. Forward proxy in the instead of the user will review the request. At the beginning, it will determine if the client is able to handle requests via this particular forward proxy. It will then reject requests or redirect it to the server that originated it. The client does not have direct access to the internet It can only access the information that the forward proxy gives the client access.

The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxy servers is to increase privacy or anonymity online. A forward proxy can be used to access the internet on behalf of clients. In the process, it'll use an IP address that is different from the IP address originally that the client uses.

Based on the way it was set up according to how it was initially configured forward proxy can provide you with a variety of features and the capability to:

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  Avoid tracking ads.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You will be able to identify any restrictions based upon your geographic area.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be used in systems to provide central security, as well as access based on permissions, such as at work. In the event that all traffic on the internet is routed by an open forward proxy, an administrator can restrict access to certain users to the internet. This is blocked by a standard firewall. Instead of keeping firewalls in place for the client layer which may comprise several computers that have different users and environments, a firewall could be installed in the intermediate layer.

It is important to remember that forward proxy servers have to be manually set up before they can be utilized in order to be used in a reverse proxy, whereas forward proxy servers are not able to be seen by users. Based on the fact that your IP address a user is passed to the server which originated it via the forward proxy Privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept in the dark.

There are several options to take into consideration when it comes to forward proxy options:

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  Apache A well-known, open-source web server with forward proxy functionality.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open source server for web hosting with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: An open-source forward proxy that utilizes the HTTP protocol. It's not an entire Web server. Check out our guide on how to configure Squid proxy for private connection within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante Forward proxy that uses the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP to make it more suitable for scenarios like peer-to-peer communication. You may also want to examine how you can configure Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy acts as a representative of a web server, which handles the incoming requests of clients on behalf. The web server could represent one or more servers. It could also represent an application servers such as Gunicorn. In all of these scenarios, an application request is made from a user on the internet at large. The majority of the time the request will go directly to the web server that hosts the information the user wants. In contrast reverse proxy serves as an intermediary to isolate Web server from any direct interactions with the open internet.

From a perspective of the user's viewpoint, interfacing using reverse proxy is any different from working with Web server in direct contact. It is functionally similar to the web server, and the client is unable tell the distinction. Clients can request the resource and is then given the resource without any additional configuration by the user.

Reverse proxies grant features such as:

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  Secured centrally to protect Web Server Layer.
  
  
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  The direction of traffic coming in according to rules you have set.
  
  
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  Added functionality for caching.
  
  

Although centralized security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxy, reverse proxies apply this feature to the web server layer and not to the client layer. Instead of focusing on the maintenance of firewalls in the layer of web servers which may contain multiple servers that have different configurations the majority of firewall security is focused on the reverse proxy layer. Additionally, the elimination of the obligation to interface with a firewall and responding to requests from clients off of web servers enables them to focus solely on meeting the requirements of their clients.

If there are more than one servers running through reverse proxy, the reverse proxy could also be accountable for directing the requests that are directed to which server. There could be multiple web servers that are serving the same resource, each offering different types of resources or a combination of the two. These servers may be running the HTTP protocol to operate as a standard internet server, but they can include protocols used by applications like FastCGI. You can set up reverse proxy servers to redirect visitors to specific server according to the type of resource they're looking for, or to adhere to specific rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies also can utilize their positioning before web servers, by providing the capability of caching. Large static assets are in a position to be set up using caching rules to prevent hitting web servers on every request. There are solutions offering an option to provide static files without having to connect with the server on any manner. Additionally, the reverse proxy can manage compression of these files.

The renowned Nginx web server is also a very popular reverse proxy option. While Apache is also a reverse proxy option, the Apache web server is also equipped with reverse proxy feature, which is a different characteristic that is part of Apache however Nginx was designed originally for and primarily focused on the reverse proxy function.

The difference in Forward Proxy and Reverse Proxy Use Examples

Because "forward" as well as "reverse" are both associated with directionality, they also create inaccurate comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic and can cause confusion since both kinds of proxies are able to handle requests as well as responses. The best method to differentiate between reverse and forward proxies is to examine the requirements of the application you're creating.

Reverse proxy is helpful when building an application that connects web applications to the internet. They serve as your servers whenever you connect to the internet.

Forward proxy is beneficial when they are placed in front of the user for personal use, or even in a working environment. They act as your client's proxy every time you connect to the internet.

Differentiating by case of use rather than focusing solely on the same naming conventions will make sure that you aren't confused.

Conclusion

This article defined what a proxy is with two types, namely the forward proxy as well as the reverse proxy. Practical applications and an examination of the benefits were utilized to distinguish between reverse and forward proxies. If you're interested in learning more about the implementation of proxies, you should go through our guide on how to set up Nginx as web service and reverse proxy within Apache on an Ubuntu 20.04 server.

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