what is proxy server and what is diff between farward and reverse proxy?

what is proxy server and what is diff between farward and reverse proxy?

In computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application program) which services the requests of its clients by forwarding requests to other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource, available from a different server. The proxy server provides the resource by connecting to the specified server and requesting the service on behalf of the client. A proxy server may optionally alter the client's request or the server's response, and sometimes it may serve the request without contacting the specified server.

- In an enterprise that uses the Internet, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between a workstation user and the Internet so that the enterprise can ensure security, administrative control, and caching service. A proxy server is associated with or part of a gateway server that separates the enterprise network from the outside network and a firewall server that protects the enterprise network from outside intrusion.

A forward proxy is typically used when you have internal users of your network trying to access external sites. The internal users must configure the client browser to use the proxy to access external sites.
In contrast, a reverse proxy server is typically used to appear as the actual Web server to the client. The reverse proxy server takes all requests, and sends the requests to the content HTTP server. When the proxy server receives a response, it sends the results back to the client as if it were the original server. A reverse proxy is typically used when you want clients to access a server that is behind a firewall