Reverse Proxy vs Forward Proxy

What is a Reverse Proxy Server?

Reverse Proxy server is an application that sits in front of web servers and forwards client requests to the respective web server.

In a typical flow, client contact the applications directly.

With NGINX reverse proxy, the flow will change like below.

Client only knows the NGINX reverse proxy server details. Client send request to NGINX Reverse Proxy server, from here NGINX route the request to respective server.

Benefits of Using Reverse Proxy

Load Balancing

Since reverse proxy server sits in front of all the backend servers, we can load balance the requests among group of servers at reverse proxy level.

Security

Since we are only exposing reverse proxy server details to outside (to clients), our internal services details are protected, we no need to reveal the IP addresses of our internal servers.

Performance Improvement

a.   Reverse Proxy can cache the content to improve performance.

b.   Reverse Proxy can compress incoming and outgoing data

c.    Reverse proxy can perform SSL encryption to take load off from servers.

What is forward Proxy?

Forward proxy is opposite to reverse proxy, it sits in front of client machines. Whenever these clients request for a site in the internet, this request is intercepted by forward proxy, and communicated to the actual site using this proxy.

Advantages of forward proxy

Restrict access to certain sites/content

We can block access to certain sites at proxy level.

Secure client identity

Since client has no direct contact with internet, client system details are protected.

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