The
difference between a 'forward' and 'reverse' proxy is determined by
where the proxy is running.
For example, your ISP probably uses a web cache to reduce its bandwidth costs. In this case, the proxy is sitting between your computer and the whole Internet. This is a 'forward proxy'. The proxy has a limited set of users (the ISP's customers), and can forward requests on to any machine on the Internet (i.e. the web sites that the customers are browsing).
For example, your ISP probably uses a web cache to reduce its bandwidth costs. In this case, the proxy is sitting between your computer and the whole Internet. This is a 'forward proxy'. The proxy has a limited set of users (the ISP's customers), and can forward requests on to any machine on the Internet (i.e. the web sites that the customers are browsing).
Alternatively,
a company can put a web cache in the same data center as their web
servers, and use it to reduce the load on their systems. This is a
'reverse proxy'. The proxy has an unlimited set of users (anyone who
wants to view the web site), but proxies requests on to a specific set
of machines (the web servers running the company's web site). This is a
typical role for Traffic Managers - they are traditionally used as a
reverse proxy.
