Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy PDF

209 Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy ** Proxy and Reverse Proxy are both intermediary entities in a network that manage and redirect ** *** * ** * traffic, but they differ i...

209 Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy ** Proxy and Reverse Proxy are both intermediary entities in a network that manage and redirect ** *** * ** * traffic, but they differ in terms of their operational setup and the direction in which they handle * *** *** * * * * * * traffic. Proxy (Forward Proxy) * * ** Operational Direction: A Proxy, often referred to as a Forward Proxy, serves as an intermediary * *** * * for requests from clients (like browsers) seeking resources from other servers. The clients *** *** *** *** connect to the proxy server, which then forwards the request to the destination server on *** behalf of the client. *** ** Functionality: ** *** Privacy and Anonymity: Hides the identity of the client from the internet servers they are * ** ~~ ~~ * * * accessing. The server sees the proxy’s IP address, not the client’s. * * * *** *** ** Content Filtering and Censorship: Can be used to control and restrict access to specific * *** websites or content. ** Caching: May cache responses to reduce loading times and bandwidth usage for ** *** *** * ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ frequently accessed resources. * ** Use Case Example: In an organizational network, a forward proxy is used to control internet * *** *** *** * access, where all employee web requests go through the proxy. * The proxy blocks certain websites and caches frequently accessed resources to improve speed * * * * * * and reduce external bandwidth usage. * * ~~ ~~ [Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy] ~ ~ Reverse Proxy *** Operational Direction: A Reverse Proxy, in contrast, is an intermediary for requests from clients * ** * * * * (external or internal) directed to one or more servers. The clients connect to the reverse proxy *** *** server, which then forwards the request to the appropriate backend server. * * ** Functionality: ** ** Load Balancing: Distributes incoming requests evenly among multiple servers to balance ** * * * * * * * * the load. ** Security and Anonymity for Servers: Hides the identities of the backend servers from the ** * * clients, providing an additional security layer. *** *** ** SSL Termination: Handles SSL encryption and decryption, offloading that responsibility * *** *** *** *** *** *** *** * from the backend servers. * ** Caching and Compression: Improves performance by caching content and compressing ** * * * * * * * * * * server responses. ** Use Case Example: A high-traffic website uses a reverse proxy to manage incoming user ** *** *** * requests. * The proxy distributes traffic among various servers (load balancing), caches content for faster retrieval, and provides SSL encryption for secure communications. * * Key Differences ** Direction of Traffic: ** A Proxy (Forward Proxy) acts on behalf of clients (users), managing outbound requests ** ** * * *** *** *** *** to the internet or other networks. A Reverse Proxy acts on behalf of servers, managing inbound requests from the outside *** *** *** *** *** *** to the server infrastructure. ** Intended Purpose: ** ** Proxies are typically used for client privacy, internet access control, and caching. ** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** Reverse Proxies are used for server load balancing, security, performance ** *** *** *** *** *** enhancement, and as an additional layer in the server architecture. *** *** *** Conclusion While both Proxy and Reverse Proxy serve as intermediaries in network traffic, their roles are * * * * * essentially opposite. * A Proxy is client-facing, managing outgoing traffic and user access, ** ** *** *** *** *** * while a Reverse Proxy is server-facing, managing incoming traffic to the server infrastructure. * ** ** *** *** *** *** Their deployment and specific functionalities reflect these distinct roles.