Proxy Sites Adjustments: 5 Actionable Suggestions

"proxy" is a term used to describe a server "proxy" refers to the fact that a proxy or proxy server. A proxy server is a software that sits in the middle between client and server via the internet. Without a proxy, a user would make a request for a resource straight to the server and it would deliver the resource directly back for the client. It is easy to comprehend and implement, adding proxies provides advantages through improved efficiency, privacy, security and more. As a pass-through layer, proxy services are a way to secure the internet between servers and clients.

It is generally accepted that the collection of server hardware and proxy software installed is commonly described as proxy servers. This article will focus on proxy servers which are typically described in terms of software and ones that work to complement web servers. This article will give a description of the two major kinds that are available, which include the forward proxy and reverse proxy. reverse proxy. Each kind has its own terminology, which can be confusing because of the overlap in terminology.

This article will provide you with an understanding of proxy types and their subtypes are, as well as their significance in normal setups. If you read this article, you will be able to identify scenarios where a reliable proxy could be advantageous, and decide on the most suitable choice between forward and reverse proxy, in any scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

Also forward proxy also known as open proxy open proxy is an agent for the user trying to make the request online an origin server. In this case, any request made by the user will be directed by this forward proxy. In this scenario, the forward proxy acting in the client's stead, will look into the request. At first it will determine if the client is authorized to make requests via this particular forward proxy. Then, it will either refuse requests or redirect it to its source server. The client is not able to have an internet connection directly; it has access to only what the forward proxy allows the client to access.

The primary reason for people to utilize forward proxies is more privacy or protection online. Forward proxy accesses the internet on behalf of an individual client, and when it does this, it may make use of an IP address different from the IP address of the client.

Depending on the method by which it's configured, a forward proxy can perform a variety of features and the capability to:

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  Beware of ad-tracker.
  
  
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  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
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  You can determine restrictions based on where you live.
  
  

Forward proxies are also utilized in systems that provide central security and permission-based access, for example, in a workplace. When all internet traffic goes through the common forward proxy, the administrator can allow only a handful of clients access to the internet, which is then filtered by a common firewall. Instead of putting firewalls in this layer that can be used by multiple computer with various configurations and environments the firewall can be put in this forward proxy layer.

Be aware Forward proxy servers need to be manually set up before they can be utilized and reverse proxies can be ignored by clients. Depending on whether an IP address from the user has been transferred to the server that is being used by the forward proxy, privacy and anonymity could be granted or kept secret.

There are many choices to consider for forward proxies.

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  Apache The Apache is a well-known open-source web server that offers forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Nginx: Another well-known open-source webserver that comes with forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
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  Squid is an open source forward proxy that uses the HTTP protocol. Squid doesn't have the full web-based server. We recommend you read our article on the best method to install Squid proxy for private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
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  Dante forward proxy that runs using the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP which makes it more suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer traffic. It is also possible to look into how to configure Dante proxy for private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

A reverse proxy serves to act as an agent of a server that takes care of incoming requests from clients on behalf of the server. The web server could function as a one server or a number of servers. In addition, it could contain an application server like Gunicorn. In either case, the request might be made by a user of the internet at large. Typically, the request will be sent directly to the web server that has the information the client is asking for. In contrast, a reverse proxy acts as an intermediary that isolates the web server from direct communication with the open internet.

From the perspective of the client, interacting with reverse proxy isn't different from the interaction with an internet server direct. It's exactly the same, but the client doesn't see the distinction. The client asks for an item and receives it, without any further configuration required for the customer.

Reverse proxy providers provide features like:

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  Centralized security to web server.
  
  
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  The direction of traffic coming in is according to rules that you can establish.
  
  
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  Additional functionality to cache data.
  
  

Although central security is a benefit of both forward and reverse proxies, reverse proxies provide this feature only to the layer of the webserver, and not the client layer. In lieu of sustaining firewalls at the server level, that could include several servers with various configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. In addition, removing the burden of interacting with firewalls as well as communicating requests from clients off web servers allows the firewall to concentrate on providing services.

In the case of multiple servers operating behind a reverse proxy the reverse proxy could be also in charge of directing which requests are directed to which servers. Multiple web servers might be operating within the same system, serving various kinds of resources or a mixture of both. The servers employ an HTTP protocol to function as a standard web server. They can also be equipped with other protocols for application servers such as FastCGI. You can create reverse proxy servers to direct clients to specific servers based on the requested resource or to follow certain guidelines regarding the amount of traffic.

Reverse proxies also have the ability to benefit from their position before web servers through caching features. Large static assets can be set up with caching policy to prevent the web server from being hit with every request, with some solutions allowing you to serve static content directly, without having to connect to the website server at all. In addition the reverse proxy is capable of handling compression of these assets.

The popular Nginx web server is also used as a reliable reverse proxy service. Although Apache is an alternative to reverse proxy and this Apache webserver also comes with reverse proxy capabilities, and can be a second option for Apache while Nginx was initially designed for and focuses on reverse proxy capabilities.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use Examples

Since "forward" or "reverse" are both associated with an impression of directionality and false connections with "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, the labels could be confusing, because both types of proxies can manage requests as well as responses. Better yet, the best method to distinguish between reverse and forward proxy services is to think about the requirements of the application that you're developing.

Reverse proxy is helpful when you are developing an application that can serve web applications on the internet. They act as your web server for any interaction on the Internet.

Forward proxy can be useful when used in front of clients for personal use or even in a corporate setting. They act as a representative of your customers in any interactions on the internet.

The use case-based differentiation instead of focusing on common naming conventions will help you in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article describes what is a "proxy" is and the two types that are the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical scenarios to use them as well as an examination of the useful features were utilized to differentiate between two kinds of proxies both reverse and forward. If you're interested in learning how to make proxies work, read our tutorial on how to configure Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy to Apache on one Ubuntu 20.04 Server.

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