What Proxy Sites Is - And What it is Not > 자유게시판

A proxy is also referred to the software that acts as a mediator between a client and server via the internet. Without the need for proxy servers, users could send a request to servers directly and servers would provide direct to users. While this is a simple procedure to understand and utilize, the addition of proxy servers could result in benefits like enhanced performance, privacy, security, and much more. As an additional layer of pass-through they act as a gatekeeper of the internet between clients and servers.

Generally speaking, the combined combination of server hardware and installed proxy software is often called proxy servers. This article will concentrate on proxy servers that are generally referred to as software, as well as in the context of web servers. This article will give an explanation of the two main types of proxy servers, which include a forward proxy and the reverse proxy. Each has its own use case, often confused because of the resemblance to the namesake convention.

This article will provide an understanding of different types of proxy services and what their subtypes are, and how they can be helpful for setups that are common. If you've read in this post, you'll to recognize situations where it's advantageous to use the proxy service and determine the best option between reverse proxy and forward proxy for any scenario.

Understanding Forward Proxies

The forward proxy also referred to as an open proxy acts as the client's representative trying to make an online request to the server that made it. In this situation, all attempts to send requests by the user are instead directed direct to the forward proxy. In this scenario the forward proxy, instead of the client will scrutinize the request. It will first determine whether this client is able to make requests via this specific forward proxy. Then, it can either refuse requests or redirect it to the server that originally made the request. The client is not allowed directly access to internet. It has access to only what the forward proxy allows it to connect to.

The most common reason to use forward proxies is to improve privacy or anonymity on the internet. A forward proxy utilizes the internet to replace a client on its own, and in this way it could make use of an alternative IP address to the original IP address used by the client.

Depending on the method by which it's setup, a forward proxy can offer a variety of features and permit you to:

• 
  
• 
  Stay clear of tracking ads.
  
  
• 
  Circumvent surveillance.
  
  
• 
  Establish restrictions based upon the your location.
  
  

Forward proxies can also be utilized in systems that provide central security and access based on permissions, such as at work. If all internet traffic flows through a common forward proxy layer an administrator is able to permit only a small number of clients access to the internet through an common firewall. Instead of establishing firewalls on the client layer, which could involve a number of computers with varying settings and users it is possible to put a firewall set up at on the front proxy layer.

Note that forward proxies need to be set up manually for them to be used and reverse proxies are able to be omitted by clients. Depending on whether the IP address of the client is sent to the source server through the forward proxy, security and privacy can be granted or left transparent.

There are several alternatives to look into for forward proxies.

• 
  
• 
  Apache is a well-known open-source web server that provides forward proxy functions.
  
  
• 
  Nginx is another widely-used open-source webserver which has forward proxy capabilities.
  
  
• 
  Squid is an open source forward proxy that makes use of the HTTP protocol. The option does not include an entire web server application. We have a tutorial on how to set up Squid proxy to enable private connections on Ubuntu 20.04.
  
  
• 
  Dante: A forward proxy that runs the SOCKS protocol rather than HTTP in order to be better suitable for situations such as peer-to-peer communication. It is also possible to know how to build a Dante proxy to allow private connections in Ubuntu 20.04
  
  

Understanding Reverse Proxies

Reverse proxy is an intermediary for a web server that handles the incoming requests of clients on behalf. The web server can comprise a server or multiple servers. Additionally, it can serve as an app server, such as Gunicorn. In any of these scenarios, a request would originate from a user on the internet at large. The majority of the time it is transmitted directly to the website server that hosts the information the client is seeking. Reverse proxy serves as a middleman to shield Web server from direct interaction with the public internet.

From a consumer's point of view from a client's perspective using a reverse proxy is no the same as working with a web servers in direct contact. It's basically the same, but the client can't distinguish between the two. The client requests the resource and then it receives it without any additional configuration needed from the user.

Reverse proxies provide features like:

• 
  
• 
  A central layer of security that guards the server.
  
  
• 
  Controlling traffic that is inbound according to rules you can define.
  
  
• 
  New caching functionality has been added.
  
  

While central security is an advantage of both forward and reverse proxy servers, reverse proxy servers provide this feature to that layer of the webserver and not to the client layer. Instead of coordinating firewalls at the server level, which could include multiple servers that have different configurations, the bulk of firewall security is concentrated on the reverse proxy layer. Furthermore, the elimination of the responsibility of interfacing with firewalls and interfacing with requests from clients off of web servers allows the firewall to concentrate on providing resources.

In the case of multiple servers connected to a reverse proxy, the reverse proxy also determines the requests to the server. There could be multiple web servers providing identical content, supplying different kinds of services or a combination of both. They could use the HTTP protocol similar to an ordinary web server. But, they may be equipped with application server protocols such as FastCGI. There is the possibility to configure a reverse proxy to send users to a specific server based on the service being requested or to follow certain rules for traffic load.

Reverse proxies may also benefit from their position prior to web servers through the capability to store data. Large static assets can be set up with caching rules in order to avoid having to contact web servers for every request. There are some solutions even allowing users to serve static content directly without having to contact the server once. In addition, the reverse proxy can deal with the compression on these resources.

The renowned Nginx web server can also function as a powerful reverse proxy solution. Although Apache is also a reverse proxy solution however, it is a reverse proxy solution. Apache web server is outfitted with a reverse proxy option as an additional option for Apache as opposed to Nginx was initially designed for and is focused on reverse proxy capabilities.

Differentiating Forward Proxy from Reverse Proxy Use-cases

Because "forward" or "reverse" come with connotations of directionality, as well as false comparisons to "incoming" and "outgoing" traffic, these labels can be confusing since both types of proxies handle requests and responses. The best method to differentiate between forward and reverse proxy is to look at the requirements of the app you're creating.

Reverse proxy can be a valuable tool to use when designing a solution to deliver web-based applications via the internet. They act as your web servers when you connect to the internet.

A forward proxy is helpful when placed before customers for your own usage and in professional setting. They serve as a representation of the client's online traffic in any interaction on the internet.

Separating by use case rather than focusing on the similar names can help in avoiding confusion.

Conclusion

This article clarifies the meaning of a proxy, with two types: the forward proxy and reverse proxy. Practical scenarios for application and an examination of the beneficial attributes were used to determine forward proxies and reverse proxy. If you're interested in learning more about implementation of proxies then you should follow our tutorial on how to configure Nginx for use as an online server as well as reverse proxy to Apache in Ubuntu 20.04 Server. Ubuntu 20.04 server.