Scenario: access to a company Web server outside a firewall

About this scenario

This scenario describes deployment when an organization's Web server is outside a firewall and users in the organization need to access it.

Difference for transparent and nontransparent firewalls

If the firewall is transparent, routing ensures that requests are sent to the company's Web server when it is outside the firewall. Requests to the external Web server are handled at the IP level. Therefore, you do not need to configure NetCache to ensure that requests can reach the external Web server.

However, when the firewall is nontransparent and running as a proxy, you must configure NetCache to ensure that requests can reach the Web server. The reason is that when NetCache processes the domain name in the URL, it expects the Web server to be in the local domain.

Example: forcing Web server access

In the following illustration, the organization's Web server, external.abc.com, is outside the firewall. It is accessible through an ISP, such as UUNET.