Proxies - rFronteddu/general_wiki GitHub Wiki

A proxy server is an intermediate server between the client and the back-end server. Clients connect to proxies to request for a service like a web page, file, connection , etc. In short, a proxy server is a piece of software or hardware that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers.

Proxies are used to filter requests, log requests, or sometimes transform requests (adding/removing headers, encrypting/decrypting, or compressing resources).

Proxy servers' caches can serve a lot of requests. If multiple clients access a particular resource, the proxy server can cache it and serve it to all the clients without going to the remote server.

Proxy Server Types

Proxies can reside on the client's local server or anywhere between the client and the remote servers. Here are a few famous types of proxies:

Open Proxy

Proxy accessible by an Internet User. Generally only allows users within a network group (closed proxy) to store and forward internet services such as DNS or web pages to reduce and control the bandwidth used by the group. With an open proxy, any user on the Internet is able to use this forwarding service. There are two famous open proxy types:

• Anonymous Proxy: Reveals its identity as a server but does not disclose the initial IP addresses (hiding users' IP addresses).
• Transparent Proxy: used to cache websites.

Reverse Proxy

Retrieves resources on behalf of a client from one or more servers. These resources are then returned to the client, appearing as if they originated from the proxy server itself.