Proxy

There are various meanings of proxy depending on what context it is used in. This post is to clarify the uses and the definitions of "proxy".

 

Proxy Server

1. Proxy Server: This is an intermediary server separating end users from the websites they browse. Proxy servers provide varying levels of functionality, security, and privacy depending on your use case, needs, or company policy.
2. Reverse Proxy: This is a type of proxy server that retrieves resources on behalf of a client from one or more servers. These resources are returned to the client, appearing as if they originated from the proxy server itself.
3. Web Proxy: A type of proxy service that forwards web requests. This is often used for anonymous browsing, bypassing blocked sites, or manipulating requests and responses for various purposes (like adding or removing headers).
4. Proxy Pattern (Software Design): In software design, a proxy is a class functioning as an interface to another class or resource, such as a network connection, a large object in memory, a file, or a particularly complex class. This is a type of software design pattern.
5. SOCKS Proxy: A type of proxy protocol that exchanges network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5, the latest version, includes additional support for security and UDP.
6. Transparent Proxy: A proxy server that intercepts all requests to the real server to see if it can fulfill the requests itself. If not, it forwards the request to the real server.
7. Proxy in programming languages: In some programming languages, a proxy is a surrogate or placeholder object that controls access to another object. For example, in JavaScript, a Proxy object is used to define custom behavior for fundamental operations (e.g., property lookup, assignment, enumeration, function invocation, etc.).
8. Proxy in remote method invocation: A proxy can refer to a local object representing a remote object in another address space, which may be on the same machine or across the network. The local proxy provides methods to interact with the remote object as if it were local.
9. API Proxy: In the context of API Management, an API proxy is a facade for a backend service or a set of services. An API proxy can offer security, rate limiting, analytics, and other features.