A reverse proxy server and a forward proxy server are both types of proxy servers, but they serve different purposes and are used in different scenarios.
A forward proxy server is a server that sits between a client and the internet. It acts as an intermediary, forwarding requests from the client to the internet and returning the responses to the client. Forward proxies are commonly used to provide anonymity, bypass content filters, or cache frequently accessed content to improve performance.
Example: A company might use a forward proxy to control and monitor employee internet usage, ensuring they adhere to company policies.
On the other hand, a reverse proxy server is a server that sits between the internet and a web server. It receives requests from clients on the internet and forwards them to the appropriate web server. Reverse proxies are often used to load balance traffic across multiple servers, enhance security by hiding the identity of the web servers, and improve performance through caching.
Example: An e-commerce site might use a reverse proxy to distribute incoming traffic across several web servers to handle high volumes of requests during sales events.
In the context of cloud services, platforms like Tencent Cloud offer services that can function as reverse proxies, such as the Tencent Cloud Load Balancer, which helps distribute traffic across multiple servers and improve the availability and reliability of applications.