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SISSA Proxy Service | |
What is the Proxy Server?
Normally when your browser tries to display a web page, it makes a direct network connection from your desktop
computer to the web server holding the page you want. Instead of this direct connection, it is possible to
ask an intermediate machine, or proxy, to take your request and pass it on to the remote web server.
Many pages contain common images (for example the SISSA's logo). Quite often you will use the 'Back'
button to go to a page you have just been looking at. If your browser didn't have some memory, it would have
to ask again for the image or page every time you needed it. In order to make things work more quickly,
your browser keeps a collection of recently needed things in a 'cache'. But this cache is just for use
by your browser on the one machine. By giving a web proxy some space it may become a proxy cache server.
It may keep copies of files that have been recently requested by a number of users. Given enough space
there is a good likelyhood of commonly used files being already in the cache when you ask for it. That way
you see it without having to wait for a copy to be made. If you are the first person today to ask for it,
then there may be a short delay after which other users will reap the benefit of the local copy.
How to configure your browser to use the web proxy server?
To configure your Web browser to work with the Proxy Server follow
these guidelines.
Library Facilities
With a properly configured web browser, the proxy server allows SISSA users to access library
resources including databases and online journals that are restricted to use from the SISSA network. Unlike
using the ethernet network on campus, using the dial up service or a VPN account, the proxy server can be
used from any computer that has access to the Internet and a properly configured web browser.
No special software or prior setup is needed. If you are interested to use library facilities, view
this page.