CSCI-4220 Network Programming

Project 2 - HTTP Proxy Server
Due Date: Feb 8th (received by midnight on the 10th)
Tape Delay Due Date: Feb 16th

Submission Instructions

Proxy Web Server

What is and is not required:

• Handle GET, HEAD and POST request methods.
• Forwards all HTTP request headers to server and all response headers back to the client.
• Doesn't need to be concurrent (although it's not hard and will make your proxy much more usable).
• We must not be able to kill your server simply by sending an invalid request.
• We must not be able to kill your server by stopping or killing the client (this includes pressing the STOP button in Netscape).

Server Output

Your server should print (to stdout) out the port number it is running on as soon as it starts. Using a fixed port number may make it difficult for us to grade (and for you to debug), so we suggest you allow the operating system to assign you any available TCP port. The initial line printed by your program should include the port number and nothing else (not "Port = 3838\n", just "3838\n"). Your program will be run by an automated system that expects this output.

To keep track of all requests, your server should print one line (to standard output) for each request serviced. The line should include the host name or IP address of the client, and the original request-line sent by the client (not any of headers that accompanied the request). For example, the following lines would be printed if the proxy received a GET request from a client on monica.cs.rpi.edu asking for the web page http://www.cs.rpi.edu/:

monica.cs.rpi.edu:  GET http://www.cs.rpi.edu/

Deliverables

You should submit all files necessary to build your server. If you use a Makefile please include it, it not you need to include instructions on how to build your server. Your submission must also include a file named README that includes the following:

• A list of files and a 1-line description of the contents of each file.
• References to any borrowed code (the source code must also include this information).
• A description of any known problems. If you think you know how to solve the problem(s) and simply didn't have time to do so - let us know how!
• Anything else you think might be useful to us, such as what you learned, what you had trouble with, if the project was too hard or too easy, etc.

Computer Accounts

Please use your CS account (or your own personal computer) for this project. Do not use RCS for this project. We have been told that any student who knowingly or accidentally runs a program that consumes excessive resources (like a fork bomb) on a public workstation will lose their RCS account.

FAQ and questions

All questions should be sent to "netprog@cs.rpi.edu".
A Project 2 FAQ will be available at http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~hollingd/netprog/projects.html as we get questions.
A sample proxy server will also be provided (executable that can be run on monica.cs.rpi.edu).