Linux Proxies and OpenSource

Broadband Sandwell has extensive experience in development within the Linux and OpenSource field. This page aims to keep schools updated on the latest developments in this area.

Third Generation of Sandwell Proxy Servers

To find out what a proxy server is, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server

Development and upgrades are a fact of life in the IT field at the present time.

Those of you with long memories will recall that we installed the first proxy servers in the borough in 1998, these used Linux technologies and introduced us to Squid and Apache services. If you are still using your old first generation Caldera proxy server, it's probably time to upgrade.

Our second generation uses RedHat Linux 7.3, and this is still in place in many schools around the borough.

In addition to the standard features offered by the Caldera systems, these servers allowed us to:

• incorporate SquidGuard to extend the content filtering to URL parsing: this means that if a listed word appears in the address of a resource, it will be blocked
• blocking by ip address: many secondary schools have made use of this feature which allows the Internet to be "turned off" in individual classrooms, and turned on when the Internet is needed for the lesson.
• Integration with the Sandwell MBC SBS system

We are now starting to roll out the third generation proxy server, based on CentOS 3.4, a Red Hat Linux variant, with added support for new hardware platforms, such as SATA drives and new network cards. We are also developing technologies for pre-caching websites on these systems, (this means that when you ask for a pre-cached webpage, it is already stored on the proxy server, so you don't have to wait for it to be downloaded). This will allow us to ensure that resources are located as close to the end users as possible and to reduce the latency on the network.

Theere are a number of hardware choices for your new proxy server:

• use a nearly new (ie previous Win2000 or better) system that the school is retiring (please note that certain specification systems may not be compatible)

• we can usually supply a suitable second hand PC for around £100

• obtain a new system from £350 depending upon required specification. New PCs must have: 40Gb hard disk (120 Gb preferred), 10/100 network card, CDROM drive.

For further information please contact our RedHat Certified Engineer
keith.chandler@broadbandsandwell.org.uk