What is Reverse Proxy

What is Forward Proxy

A forward proxy, also referred to as a “proxy server,” or simply a “proxy,” is a server that sits in front of one or more client computers and serves as a conduit between the clients and the internet. The forward proxy receives the request before sending it on from the client machine to the internet resource. On behalf of the client machine, the forward proxy then sends the request to the internet and returns the response....

What is Reverse Proxy

A server that sits in front of one or more web servers and serves as a go-between for the web servers and the Internet is known as a reverse proxy. The reverse proxy receives the request before sending it on to the internet resource for the client. After sending the request to one of the web servers, the reverse proxy receives the response from that server. The response is then sent back to the client by the reverse proxy....

Difference between Forward and Reverse Proxy Based on features:

Forward Proxy  Reverse Proxy Purpose  Provides anonymity and caching to clients  Improves server performance, load balancing, and security Location Between the client and the internet  Between the internet and server Visibility The client is aware of the proxy  The server is not aware of the proxy Configuration The client must be configured to use proxy  Server must be configured to use proxy use Use cases  Bypassing content filters, accessing restricted content  Load balancing, caching, SSL/TLS offloading, web application firewall Examples  Squid, Proxy, Tor  Nginx, Apache, HAProxy...