System information

Manual:IP/Proxy
173
A Web proxy (cache) watches requests coming from client, saving copies of the responses for itself. Then, if there is
another request for the same URL, it can use the response that it has, instead of asking the origin server for it again.
If proxy has not requested file, it downloads that from the original server.
There can be many potential purpose of proxy server:
To decrease access speed to resources (it takes less time for the client to get the object).
Works as HTTP firewall (deny access to undesirable web pages),
Allows to filter web content (by specific parameters, like source address, destination address and port, URL, HTTP
request method) scan outbound content, e.g., for data leak protection.
Note: it may be useful to have Web proxy running even with no cache when you want to use it only as
something like HTTP and FTP firewall (for example, denying access undesired web pages or deny specific
type of files e.g. .mp3 files) or to redirect requests to external proxy (possibly, to a proxy with caching
functions) transparently.