The proxy server is a specific type of application server that routes HTTP requests to content servers that perform the work. The proxy server is the initial point of entry, after the firewall, for requests into the enterprise. The proxy server acts as a surrogate for content servers within the enterprise. As a surrogate, the proxy server can be configured with rules to route to and load balance the clusters of content servers. It is also capable of securing the transport (using SSL) and the content (using various authentication and authorization schemes). Another important feature is its capability to protect the identity of the content servers from the Web clients by using response transformations (URL rewriting). Proxy server can also improve performance by caching content locally and protecting the content servers from surges in traffic.
Why and when to perform this task
A proxy server configuration provides settings that control how a proxy server can provide services for the enterprise applications and their components. This section describes how to create and configure proxy servers in an existing application server environment. A WebSphere Application Server administrator can configure one or more proxy server within a cell and perform tasks such as the following: