What Is an Auto Proxy?
Web browsers need to follow a specific set of protocols in order to locate the information you request. Most web browsers are configured to use a single proxy server to route HTTP requests. However, occasionally a web browser will need to be configured to use an auto-proxy when fetching objects i.e. pulling down information from the Web.
Other People Are Reading
-
Auto Proxy- A More Complex System
-
Occasionally, company networks require a more complex system of routing than a single proxy server. One method they use in cases like this is called proxy auto-configuration (PAC) files, aka "auto proxy". Auto proxy files are simply a JavaScript function telling the web browser where to look next.
Auto Proxy Script Theory
-
Theoretically, every time a web browser is instructed to fetch an object it will run its PAC script and then know how to proceed in getting that specific object. Generally the script will come up with three possible results. The first possibility is a direct instruction where the web server is pointed directly to the appropriate URL.
The second possibility is that it may be instructed to pull down the information via a proxy server at a specific name and port location.
The third possibility is that the server will need to fetch the object via another type of server called a SOCKS server and once again it will be given the specific name and port location.
-
Auto Proxy In Practice
-
In actual practice, however, modern browsers can bypass the auto proxy script if it has found a specific object in the recent past and still has it in its cache. This is called an APR cache and is an attempt to reduce the amount of overhead required to fetch objects.
-
Resources
- Photo Credit HTTP image by YvesBonnet from Fotolia.com
