The meaning of proxy: Where and why is it used?
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When a person refers to a transaction that takes place by proxy, it means that the task is handed off to an uninvolved party who then relays the message to its recipient. The function of the proxy is to act as an intermediate buffer between a source and a destination. Like with human to human contact, a proxy server performs the exact same function. It relays messages from one computer to the next, never allowing the two to meet or come into direct contact in any way. When a computer inside the protection of a firewall needs to make an outward connection, such as when a user enters a web path into their browser, the client computer makes the request to the proxy server as opposed to the target internet site directly. The proxy then initiates a connection between itself and the target site, handing off data packets back and forth between the client computer and the site for the duration of the transaction.
Why do this? In short, control. The proxy server allows administrators to completely isolate the computer systems on their network. This is a valuable capability considering the amount of viruses and hacks present on the web today. It also allows the blocking of undesirable web sites, preventing curious eyes from seeing sites that are not meant to be viewed in the workplace. There is also the benefit of being able to track and restrict internet use. Open web might be only allowed during the legal lunch hours, for example, and the rest of the time only certain sites will be visible. There are endless proxy server configuration choices that have to be considered and possibly leveraged when using a proxy as the traffic cop for your network and its access to the web. They have been around for a while and are still a capable way of monitoring and controlling internet traffic.
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