Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy

Question 1

What is the purpose of a forward proxy?

Answer 1

It acts as an intermediary for requests from the client to the server.

Question 2

What three functions do forward proxies provide?

Answer 2

They provide:
- Anonymity (hides client identity)
- Content Filtering (access control for preventing specific requests)
- Caching (frequent requests can be cached at the proxy)

Question 3

What scenario might a warrant a forward proxy?

Answer 3

A company preventing access to specific websites for their employees (and caching those frequently accessed).

Question 4

What’s the purpose of a reverse proxy?

Answer 4

It’s an intermediary between the client and server that provides anonymity for the server.

Question 5

What three primary functions does a reverse proxy provide?

Answer 5

It provides:
- Load Balancing (distributed traffic to balance load among backend services)
- Security / Anonymity (anonymity is provided for the server, handles SSL termination so backend doesn’t have to)
- Caching / Compression (improves response performance)

Question 6

What’s a scenario that might warrant a reverse proxy?

Answer 6

A high-traffic website may use a reverse proxy to improve performance (via load balancing, caching), security (SSL termination), etc.

Question 7

How do forward and reverse proxies differ in their handling of traffic?

Answer 7

Forward are client-facing (outgoing) and reverse are server-facing (incoming)