In this recipe, we will install and configure the squid proxy and caching server. The term proxy is generally combined with two different terms: one is forward proxy and the other is reverse proxy.
When we say proxy, it generally refers to forward proxy. A forward proxy acts as a gateway between a client's browser and the Internet, requesting the content on behalf of the client. This protects intranet clients by exposing the proxy as the only requester. A proxy can also be used as a filtering agent, imposing organizational policies. As all Internet requests go through the proxy server, the proxy can cache the response and return cached content when a similar request is found, thus saving bandwidth and time.
A reverse proxy is the exact opposite of a forward proxy. It protects internal servers from the outside world. A reverse proxy accepts requests from external clients and routes them to servers behind the proxy. External clients can see a single entity...