Chapter 1 Introducing Sun Java System Web Proxy Server

This chapter provides a general overview of Sun Java^™ System Web Proxy Server, including a brief description of what’s new in this release and an overview of the web-based user interfaces used to administer, configure, and manage the Proxy Server.

About Sun Java System Web Proxy Server

Sun Java System Web Proxy Server represents the HTTP caching and acceleration foundation for high performance Internet and Intranet environments. The Proxy Server is a powerful system for caching and filtering web content and boosting network performance, offering tight integration with the entire network infrastructure, cross-platform support, and centralized management capabilities. Acting as a network traffic manager, it distributes and manages information efficiently so network traffic and user wait times are reduced. The Proxy Server also helps ensure that users can access network resources safely and productively, providing a secure gateway for content distribution and serving as a control point for Internet traffic.

New in This Release

Getting Started

Sun Java System Web Proxy Server is administered and configured with the Administration Server and the Server Manager, web-based user interfaces that are accessed with a browser. The Administration Server is used to manage configuration that is common to all Proxy Server instances installed on your system, while the Server Manager is used to configure settings for individual server instances.

Administration Server Overview

The Administration Server is a web-based user interface used to manage configuration that is common to all Sun Java System Web Proxy Server instances installed on your system.


Note	Cookies must be enabled in your browser to run the CGI programs necessary for configuring your server.

After the Administration Server has been started (see Starting the Administration Server), the Administration Server is accessed by launching a browser and entering a URL. The URL is determined by the host name and port number specified during installation. For example: http://myserver.mycorp.com:1234.

More than one administrator can be granted access to the Administration Server. For more information about distributed administration, see Allowing Multiple Administrators.

To access the Administration Server

Administration Server settings are organized by tabs that correspond to specific tasks. The following table lists the Administration Server tabs, and provides a brief description of what the tabs are used for.

Table 1-1 **Administration Server Tabs**
Tab	Used To
Servers	Manage, add, remove, migrate Proxy Servers
Preferences	Shutdown the Administration Server, edit listen sockets, configure superuser access, configure distributed administration (allow multiple administrators), customize and view access and error logs
Global Settings	Configure directory services, specify access control, configure SNMP master agent settings
Users and Groups	Add and manage users, groups, and organizational units
Security	Create new trust databases, request and install VeriSign and other certificates, change the key-pair file password, view and manage installed certificates, add or replace Certificate Revocation Lists and Compromised Key Lists (CRLs and CKLs), manage CRLs and CKLs, migrate 3.x certificates
Cluster	Control remote servers in a cluster, add and remove remote servers, modify server information

Server Manager Overview

The Server Manager is the web-based user interface used to start, stop, and configure individual instances of Sun Java System Web Proxy Server.

To access the Server Manager

Server Manager settings are organized by tabs that correspond to specific tasks. The following table lists the Server Manager tabs, and provides a brief description of what the tabs are used for.

Table 1-2 **Server Manager Tabs**
Tab	Used To
Preferences	Start and stop the server, view server settings, restore configuration information, configure system preferences, tune Proxy Server performance, add and edit listen sockets, manage MIME types, administer access control, configure ACL and DNS caches, configure DNS local subdomains, configure HTTP keep-alive settings, set cipher size
Routing	Enable and disable proxying, set routing preferences, forward client credentials, enable Java IP address checking, create and edit autoconfiguration files, set the connectivity mode, change the default FTP transfer mode, set the SOCKS name server IP address, configure HTTP request load balancing
SOCKS	Start and stop the SOCKS server, and create and manage SOCKS authentication, connection, and routing entries
URLs	View, create, and manage URL mappings and redirections
Caching	Set cache specifics, add and modify cache partitions, move sections among existing partitions, set the cache capacity, set the garbage collection mode, tune the cache, schedule garbage collection, tune garbage collection settings, configure caching for specific resources, enable the caching of local hosts, change the file cache settings, set cache batch updates, view information about recorded cached URLs, configure proxies in an ICP neighborhood, create and update the proxy array member list, configure proxy array members, view information in the PAT file
Filters	Create filter files, set content URL rewriting, set user-agent restriction and request blocking, suppress outgoing headers, set MIME filters and HTML tag filters, compress content on demand
Server Status	View log files, archive logs, set log preferences, generate reports, monitor current activity, configure and control the SNMP subagent
Security	Create new trust databases, request and install VeriSign and other certificates, change the key-pair file password, view and manage installed certificates, add or replace Certificate Revocation Lists and Compromised Key Lists (CRLs and CKLs), manage CRLs and CKLs, migrate 3.x certificates
Templates	Create, remove, apply, and view templates, and remove resources

At times you may also see a Restart Required link below the Refresh button. This indicates that changes have been made for which a server restart is required. To apply the changes, click the link and specify the desired action.

For more information about using the Server Manager, see related tasks in this guide. Also see the online Help for Server Manager tabs and pages.

Configuration Files

The configuration and behavior of Sun Java System Web Proxy Server is determined by a set of configuration files. Settings configured in the administration interface are reflected in the configuration files. The files can also be edited manually.

The configuration files reside in the directory instance_dir/config, where instance_dir is the server instance. The config directory contains various configuration files that control different components. The exact number and names of the configuration files depend on which components have been enabled or loaded. This directory always contains four configuration files that are essential to server operation. The following table lists the four essential configuration files and their contents.

Table 1-3 **Essential Configuration Files**
File	Contains
server.xml	Most of the server configuration (new in this Proxy Server release)
magnus.conf	Global server initialization information
obj.conf	Instructions for handling requests from clients
mime.types	Information for determining the content type of requested resources

For detailed information about these and other configuration files, see the Proxy Server Configuration File Reference.

Regular Expressions

Regular expressions can be used to identify resources and configure the Proxy Server to handle requests from different URLs differently. Regular expressions can be specified as you perform a variety of tasks using the Administration Server and Server Manager user interfaces. For detailed information about the use of regular expressions, see Managing Templates and Resources.

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Sun Java System Web Proxy Server 4.0.1 Administration Guide