> Now, they're screaming about a problem with proxies on the mirror
> site, which runs on the WiseEarth server. I don't know anything about
> proxy servers or what to tell them.
in short form, a proxy server is a computer which loads your web page,
saves it to disk, then passes that copy to other machines which
request your page. it's a lot like the cache your browser keeps
while you surf, it just lives on a machine somewhere between the
client and the real server.
proxies are frequently used on networks with firewalls:
[ server ] [ server ]
| |
================================= internet
|
[ proxy server ]
|
================================= private network
| | |
[ client ] [ client ] [ client ]
the machines on the private network don't connect directly to the
internet, so if they want a file, they have to go through the proxy
server. the proxy server accepts a file request from the client,
sends an identical request to the real server, then passes the results
back to the client. if the proxy is there for purposes of security,
it will scan both the request and the return data to make sure
everything's kosher before going on with the transaction.
if you happen to be dealing with a caching proxy, the proxy will save
the data to disk, and the next time it sees a similar request from a
client, it doesn't bother to contact the real server again. it cuts
down on redundant file transfers, but leaves an opening for old
vesions of your page to be stuck in the proxy and not available to the
clients who go through the proxy server.
as the person dealing with the real server, there's not a whole lot
you can do about that. the caching standards are defined by the
person running the proxy server. the best thing to do in that kind
of situation is ask for more information.. basically a polite form of
passing the buck.
mike stone <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 'net geek..
been there, done that, have network, will travel.
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