MS Proxy Server and OCLC FirstSearch

[Michael Tibor]

On Wed, 22 Apr 1998 rpage at okway.okstate.edu wrote:
> 

[snip]

>    On the limited machines, and only with FirstSearch, I am having a very 
>    strange problem. After getting logged in, and the available databases are 
>    showing, the pages never finish loading. This includes the initial screen 
>    and every subsequent screen. I've checked on staff workstations, and if 
>    they go through the Proxy server, with either Netscape (v3.x, 4.04, or 
>    4.05) or MS IE (v4.01), they get the same behavior.
>       I have spent much of today checking and playing with every possible 
>    parameter for the Proxy server. I have updated the scripts to the very 
>    latest version. I have even tried changing which port the service works 
>    through, but nothing changes this behavior.
>       It is very frustrating to our users. Although, after clicking on the 
>    STOP button, searches can be performed. This happens on every page. About 
>    the last thing I think I can do, is to try a different Proxy server.
>    
>    Has anyone seen this behavior? How were you able to resolve it? Any 
>    pointers will be helpful.

I've never used it, but from what I've heard the MS Proxy Server is one of
the poorer caching proxy packages out now.

It sounds like you've actually narrowed the possibilities down to the
proxy server as being the source of your problems (things work fine direct
from the AIX box, but when you introduce the proxy server into the picture
things go awry).

One possibility you might consider is running Squid
(http://squid.nlanr.net/) on the AIX box.  We've used Squid here at the
UAA Library with excellent results. 

Another possibility would be Netscape Proxy server.  I've used this on a
limited basis on NT, but I think its also available for AIX. 

If you would like to test how Squid would work, email me privately and we
can run a quick test with one of your web clients running through my Squid
box.

Hope that helps,
Mike
-- 
Mike Tibor        University of Alaska Anchorage    (907) 786-1001 voice
LAN Technician    Consortium Library                (907) 786-6050 fax
http://www.lib.uaa.alaska.edu/~tibor/    mailto:tibor at lib.uaa.alaska.edu
Finger tibor at asimov.lib.uaa.alaska.edu for PGP public key