The essential difference between forward proxy and reverse proxy

First of all, the main difference between a forward proxy and a reverse proxy is that the objects of the proxy are different. For a forward proxy, for the server, the access is the real client; for a reverse proxy, for the client, the access is the real server.

1. What is a forward proxy? A forward proxy is a proxy that sits between the client and the server and sends requests to other servers on behalf of the client.
The common scenario is that when the client cannot access certain resources, it can access them through a forward proxy. It will forward the client's request to the target server and return the response to the client. The forward proxy server can cache the response to the request, thereby increasing the access speed, and can perform and authorize the client.
Usually we use more proxy IP or VPN for this kind of scenario.
2. Scenarios of forward proxy usage Where is the forward proxy generally used? The following are several common forward proxy scenarios:
1. V/P/N
It stands for " ", which is a service that protects the privacy of Internet connections. For example, in order to protect the privacy of the company, we set up the company's network so that only people can access it after logging in through VPN.
2. Dynamic IP proxy The most common scenario for dynamic IP proxy is that most websites restrict access to IPs to avoid frequent visits and crawling. If you use the same IP to access, it will soon be unrestricted and inaccessible. Because we need a dynamic IP server to help us forward requests, so as to avoid being detected by the target server as frequent crawling.
3. Hide client IP
IP is what we often see in movies. Hackers use proxies to hide their real IP addresses to avoid being discovered by others, so as to find out the actual address of the hacker.
3. What is a reverse proxy? A reverse proxy is a proxy server. When a client sends a request to a server, the proxy server obtains resources from one or more backend servers and returns them to the client. The client only knows the IP address of the reverse proxy and does not know the existence of the server cluster behind the proxy server. In contrast to a forward proxy, a reverse proxy acts as a proxy, not as a proxy for the client, and is used to hide the real server.
4. Usage scenarios of reverse proxy
1.
The bastion host is a system that controls all permissions or operations to log in to the server, monitors the operations of employees, and constrains and monitors their behavior. Through the bastion host, we can control employees' access to the server and protect the security of the real server.
2. nginx Load Balancer is a device or software used to distribute network requests and traffic. Its main purpose is to distribute load between multiple servers (or computing resources) to ensure that these servers can efficiently process requests together and improve the performance, availability and stability of the system. For example, we often use nginx as a load balancing server.
5. How to choose a proxy IP
After understanding the principles of forward proxy and reverse proxy, how should we choose our own suitable IP proxy to better protect our business:
1. Choose a dual-protocol proxy that integrates both https and HTTPS. It is more compatible with more of our own applications and can be used in different scenarios.
2. Choose a more stable proxy. A stable proxy can ensure the smooth operation of the business. If the connection is often disconnected or the data cannot be uploaded/uploaded, it will seriously affect our data security and the smooth operation of the business. The proxy supports dual protocols, is pure, safe and stable, has dynamic and static equipment, and is a suitable choice for cross-border business.