Re: Summary - Will browsers support multiple proxy servers
Thanks for posting the summary. One thing that I thought of when you
originally posed the question (but then forgot about) was to run a 2nd
machine on the same network as the main proxy with a seperate IP #.
It spends all its time just arp-ing or (maybe pinging?) the main proxy.
If an arp fails (indicating that at least the network stuff is
out-of-business), it reconfigures itself with the IP # of the main proxy
(copies a readied version of /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 or equivalent with the
main proxy's IP #) and then reboots itself, coming up with the new #.
Maybe a cheapo 486/pentium with a scsi running linux/bsd could provide a
"reasonable" service for a while at least, especially if the problem
occurs during the weekend/night when it is least likely to be rapidly fixed.
Using a machine that normally does other things as well is probably
precluded by the need to change the IP #.
Things get more complicated if just the proxy httpd fails, but arps/pings
work, or if the main proxy magically recovers and reboots itself... It
would be nice if a really sick main proxy server could realize that it was
in trouble and just die cleanly. Mechanisms to do this could be
imagined, maybe relying on the backup proxy to maintain a TCP/IP
connection with the primary proxy on which it can send a logical signal
to "please shutdown now" when the need arises. Fun to do!
Kent Fitch Ph: +61 6 276 6711
ITSB CSIRO Canberra Australia email@example.com
"It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail." - Gore Vidal