10 Essential Elements For Proxy Sites

The term "proxy" refers to a proxy, also called the software for proxy servers, serves to act as a mediator between server and client over the internet. With no proxy in place, a client could submit a request for an online service directly from a server, and the server would serve the resource directly for the client. This is a simple method to understand and implement but using proxies provides benefits like improved performance, privacy, security, and more. As an additional pass-through layer the proxy acts as a guardian for the internet between clients and servers.

In general, the mixture of the server's hardware and proxy software is commonly referred too as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxies which are generally classified as software when referring to web servers. This article will provide the full description of two kinds: forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each type of proxy has its own scenario, which is often misunderstood because of the identical terms.

This article will provide you with details on the different types of proxy services, what their subtypes are and the way they work in various configurations. By reading this article, you will be able to identify the situations in which using proxies can be advantageous and pick the most appropriate solution between reverse and forward proxy for any particular scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy, sometimes referred to as an open proxy serves as a representative for a customer who needs to send a request via the internet to the server that made it. In this scenario the entire process of sending requests by the user will be transmitted via the forward proxy. A forward proxy, acting in place of the client will take a look into the request. Then, it will determine whether the user is authorised to transmit requests using this specific forward proxy. It then decides whether to refuse any request or to forward it to the source server. The client is not able to have direct connection directly to internet. It is able to access only what the forward proxy allows it to access.

A popular use for forward proxies is greater privacy and security when surfing the internet. Forward proxy can access the internet instead of a client and in this way it can make use of a different IP address than the IP address that was originally used by the client.

Depending on how it's been configured, based on the way it is configured, forward proxy may offer you a variety of features based on how it is configured and enables you to:

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  Don't be a victim of ad trackers.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  Recognize the restrictions based on your location.
  
  

Forward proxies are also used to secure systems that are centralised and also for access based on permissions, like at a workplace. If all internet traffic flows via an open forward proxy an administrator is able to grant only a few clients online access filtered through the firewall. Instead of setting up firewalls for the client layer, which could comprise a range of devices that operate in various environments and users, a firewall could be placed on top of the forward proxy layer.

It is crucial to keep in mind that forward proxy servers must be manually set up for use while reverse proxies will be hidden from the user. Depending on the type IP address of the user who is transferred to the server that is originally through the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity can be granted or not.

There are numerous options to consider for forward proxies.

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  Apache A well-known open source web server that offers forward proxy functions.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another popular open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid: A free forward proxy that uses an HTTP protocol. Squid doesn't include the full web server. Read our article about the best method to build a Squid proxy for private connections within Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante is forward proxy which uses the SOCKS protocol instead of HTTP and HTTP, which makes it more suitable for use instances like peer-to-peer communication. You can also learn how to set up Dante proxy to permit private connections with Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy functions as a representative of a web server, which handles any requests that come in from clients on behalf of. The web server may include servers, or even multiple servers. Additionally, it can be an application-server like Gunicorn. In either of these scenarios the request will be made via the web at large. In most cases, your request is transmitted directly to a web server along with the resources the user is looking for. A reverse proxy functions as an intermediary, isolating this webserver from direct communication with the open internet.

From the perspective of a user the experience of interacting with reverse proxy isn't different than connecting to an internet server directly. It's essentially the same but the client is unable to discern the difference. The client requests a resource and then receives it without additional configuration required from the client.

Reverse proxies can provide features such as:

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  Security centralized for web servers.
  
  
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  The direction of traffic coming in based on rules you set.
  
  
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  New caching functionality has been added.
  
  

While centralized security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers. Reverse proxy servers provide this service only to the layer of the webserver and not the client layer. Instead of maintaining firewalls in the web server layer, which might contain many servers and different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is aimed at the reverse proxy layer. In addition, getting rid of the responsibility of interfacing with firewalls and communicating with requests from clients off of web servers enables them to concentrate on addressing the needs of their customers.

In the case of multiple servers operating with reverse-proxies, the reverse proxy also handles the direction of which requests are directed towards which servers. There could be multiple web servers running within the same system, each providing different kinds of resources, or a combination of both. They can use the HTTP protocol just like a conventional web server, however they can also be equipped with protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. It is possible to set up reverse proxy to direct users to a particular server based on the service required, or to certain rules regarding the load of traffic.

Reverse proxies can also benefit from their placement over web servers by providing the ability to cache. Large static assets can be set up using caching rules to prevent needing to connect with web servers every time. Certain software solutions let you directly serve static files without having to communicate with the webserver at all. In addition reverse proxy solutions are able to handle the compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx web server also functions as a well-known reverse proxy option. While Apache is an alternative to reverse proxy however, the Apache web server does have reverse proxy functions, but it's a distinct feature to Apache in contrast to Nginx was originally designed to and focuses upon the feature of reverse proxy.

Distinguishing Forward and Reverse Proxy Use

Since "forward" and "reverse" are associated with an impression of directionality and misleading comparisons with "incoming" as well as "outgoing" traffic, the names could be confusing because the two types of proxies deal with requests and responses. The best method to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy is to look at the requirements of the application you're creating.

A reverse proxy is useful when you are developing a solution that can offer web-based applications on the internet. They are your web servers during any interaction on the internet.

Forward proxy is useful when put before users for personal use, or even in the workplace. They represent your client's activity when you use the internet.

Separating by use case instead of using only common naming conventions can ensure that you aren't confused.

Conclusion

This article provides the definition of a proxy with the two main types, namely the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Examples of practical use and an overview of advantageous features were utilized to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy. If you're keen to learn more about the possibilities of proxies, then you should read our tutorial on how to set up Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy within Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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