Web Proxy with Caching

Overview

This command-line tool implements a web proxy server with support for caching. It is designed to handle HTTP requests and optionally apply different cache replacement policies for improved performance.

Build Instructions

• To compile the program, run:

  make all

• To clean up object files, run:

  make clean

Running the Proxy

To launch the proxy server:

./proxy <port> [cache replacement policy]

Examples:

• Run the proxy on port 8080 with the default cache replacement policy (LRU):

  ./proxy 8080

• Run the proxy with the LRU (Least Recently Used) cache policy:

  ./proxy 8080 LRU

• Run the proxy with the LFU (Least Frequently Used) cache policy:

  ./proxy 8080 LFU

Testing Environment

This tool is compatible with macOS and Linux platforms.

Recommended Browser: Firefox

Firefox is recommended due to its easy and precise proxy configuration:

1. Open Settings and search for "Proxy".
2. Choose Manual proxy configuration.
3. Set the HTTP proxy to localhost (127.0.0.1) and specify the port used by your proxy.
4. Navigate to about:config and set the following:
   • network.proxy.allow_hijacking_localhost → true
   • browser.cache.disk.enable → false
   • browser.cache.memory.enable → false

⚠️ Don’t forget to restore your cache settings after testing.

Other Browsers

Browsers like Chrome and Safari require system-wide proxy settings, which can be less convenient for testing. If possible, use Firefox for a more streamlined experience with fine-grained control over HTTP requests.

Benchmark

./driver.sh