What is the purpose of a proxy server in a network ?
2024
What is the purpose of a proxy server in a network ?
- A.
Authenticating users accessing web applications
- B.
Accelerating the rendering of HTML pages
- C.
Acting as an intermediary between clients and servers, providing security / performance benefits
- D.
Storing and managing session data for web applications
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Correct answer: C
A proxy server functions as a gateway between an internal network (clients) and the internet (servers). Instead of a client connecting directly to a website, the client sends its request to the proxy server, which then evaluates, modifies, and forwards the request to the destination.
This setup provides several key benefits:
Security & Anonymity: It hides the client's actual IP address from the destination server and allows administrators to filter out malicious traffic or block unauthorized websites.
Performance (Caching): It can store copies of frequently requested web pages locally. When another user requests the same page, the proxy delivers it instantly without consuming external bandwidth.
Load Balancing: It can distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers to prevent system crashes.