User manual

Chapter 2 Managing Web Technologies 19
Setting Up Proxy Caching
A proxy lets users check a local server for frequently used files. You can use a proxy to
speed up response times and reduce network traffic. The proxy stores recently accessed
files in a cache on your web server. Browsers on your network check the cache before
retrieving files from more distant servers.
To take advantage of this feature, client computers must specify your web server as
their proxy server in their browser preferences.
If you want to set up a web proxy, make sure you create and enable a website for the
proxy. You may wish to disable logging on the proxy site, or configure the site to record
its access log in a separate file from your other sites' access logs. The site does not have
to be on port 80, but setting up web clients is easier if it is because browsers use port
80 by default.
To set up a proxy:
1 In Server Admin, click Web for the server you want.
2 Click Settings in the button bar.
3 In the Proxy pane, click Enable Proxy.
4 Set the maximum cache size.
When the cache reaches this size, the oldest files are deleted from the cache folder.
5 Type the pathname for the cache folder in the “Cache folder” field.
You can also click the Browse button and browse for the folder you want to use.
If you are administering a remote server, file service must be running on the remote
server to use the Browse button.
If you change the folder location from the default, you will have to select the new
folder in the Finder, choose File > Get Info, and change the owner and group to www.
6 Click Save.
Web service restarts.
Note: If proxy is enabled, any site on the server can be used as the proxy.
LL2350.book Page 19 Friday, August 22, 2003 2:32 PM