Assignment on Proxy Servers

SUBMITTED TO:

Miss. Sadia Rasheed

SUBMITTED BY:

Muhammad Tahir Ameen

Roll No:

MITF10M-041
Section:

Morning
College of Information Technology, University of the Punjab

Proxy Servers:
Proxy servers can filter the traffic for a website with the IP address and this is a handy system added for such application. If the filter has validated that request, then the proxy will offer a resource through which it will be connected to a relevant server and the request will be made on behalf of the client. A proxy server is having the ability to alter the clients request and sometime it can alter the response coming from the server. Sometimes the proxy server can also serve the request without connecting or contacting to the concerned server. In such scenario, the proxy will acquire the responses from a remote server and it will return the request subsequently for the same content. There are many advantages that proxy server can give, for example:

For security reasons it will keep the machine anonymous most of the time It will enhance the speed to access the concerned resources. As far as web proxies are concerned it can be used to cache the web pages directly from a web server. It will apply the access policy for the networks services as well as content. It can block the unwanted sites. It can bring you log or audit related usages It can offer you top security and parental controls It can scan the outbound content effectively and can protect your data Proxy servers can be used for circumventing regional restrictions

How does Proxy Server works?

A proxy server receives a request for an Internet service (such as a Web page request) from a user. If it passes filtering requirements, the proxy server, assuming it is also a cache server , looks in its local cache of previously downloaded Web pages. If it finds the page, it returns it to the user without needing to forward the request to the Internet. If the page is not in the cache, the proxy server, acting as a client on behalf of the user, uses one of its own IP addresses to request the page from the server out on the Internet. When the page is returned, the proxy server relates it to the original request and forwards it on to the user. A good example, and the one you probably see the most, is a web proxy. When configured to use a proxy, your web browser contacts the proxy server for each web access instead of going directly to the target server on the internet. The proxy server then turns around and makes the "real" request of the web server. The proxy server gets the response, and then passes it back to you.

There is a large number of the software available that allows you to hide your IP address with the help of the proxy servers. The well known software for this purpose is Hide IP, Stealth surf, Netconceal, Anonymous surfing, Proxify and Ghost surf. To the user, the proxy server is invisible; all Internet requests and returned responses appear to be directly with the addressed Internet server. (The proxy is not quite invisible; its IP address has to be specified as a configuration option to the browser or other protocol program.)

Types of proxy Servers:

There are many different types of proxy servers out there, but following are some commonly known proxies.

Mail Servers
Almost as ubiquitous and crucial as Web servers, mail servers move and store mail over corporate networks (via LANs and WANs) and across the Internet.

Server Platforms
A term often used synonymously with operating system, a platform is the underlying hardware or software for a system and is thus the engine that drives the server.

Web Servers
At its core, a Web server serves static content to a Web browser by loading a file from a disk and serving it across the network to a user's Web browser. This entire exchange is mediated by the browser and server talking to each other using HTTP.

Application Servers
Sometimes referred to as a type of middleware, application servers occupy a large chunk of computing territory between database servers and the end user, and they often connect the two.

Real-Time Communication Servers

Real-time communication servers, formerly known as chat servers or IRC Servers, and still sometimes referred to as instant messaging (IM) servers, enable large numbers users to exchange information near instantaneously.

FTP Servers
One of the oldest of the Internet services, File Transfer Protocol makes it possible to move one or more files securely between computers while providing file security and organization as well as transfer control.

Collaboration Servers
In many ways, collaboration software, once called 'groupware,' demonstrates the original power of the Web. Collaboration software designed to enable users to collaborate, regardless of location, via the Internet or a corporate intranet and to work together in a virtual atmosphere.

List Servers
List servers offer a way to better manage mailing lists, whether they be interactive discussions open to the public or one-way lists that deliver announcements, newsletters or advertising.

Telnet Servers
A Telnet server enables users to log on to a host computer and perform tasks as if they're working on the remote computer itself.

Open Source Servers

From your underlying open source server operating system to the server software that help you get your job done, open source software is a critical part of many IT infrastructures.

Virtual Servers
In 2009, the number of virtual servers deployed exceeded the number of physical servers. Today, server virtualization has become near ubiquitous in the data center. From hypervisors to hybrid clouds, ServerWatch looks at the latest virtualization technology trends.