Forward proxy vs Reverse proxy and Proxy Cache features

[mat h]

I can answer 4.
The event driven style results in a lowe memory usage and context
switches then would be needed using a threaded model which gives nignx
a huge performance advantage. Also its much smaller and less bloated,
and written for speed.

On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 3:06 AM, cachenewbie <nginx-forum at nginx.us> wrote:
> All  -  I've read through most of the posts before posting this but
> couldn't find answer to the specific question I have.
>
> I've been looking at nginx, squid, varnish and Apache Traffic server to
> determine the best one to use as a [u]transparent forward caching
> proxy[/u] with necessary modifications (to the code or configuration
> file) - I understand Nginx (and varnish) is built from scratch to be a
> reverse proxy  and I know nginx performs very well under load as a
> reverse proxy.  With Nginx adoption increasing, I'd like to know if
> there are enough "caching support" in Nginx to be used as [a] caching
> proxy and [b] forward proxy. Here are my specific questions:
> 1. What major "feature" or "capability" does Nginx lack as a forward
> proxy (as compared to say Squid) ? With modification to the code or
> "proxy_pass" config line, it's not difficult to make it talk to the
> Internet (and not a specific backend server). So what are the missing
> pieces in Nginx that makes it unsuitable for forward proxy mode ?
> 2. What are the "caching" features that are critical (compared to squid)
> that are missing in squid ? If Nginx is changed to run as forward proxy
> (with httpproxymodule), can I expect similar cache hit with Nginx and
> other proxy caches (say Squid) ?
> 3. What are other features of a cache that Nginx doesn't support and are
> critical ?
> 4. I know Nginx is far superior in performance compared to squid but
> which piece/component of Nginx is contributing to the gain ? Is it the
> event driven model, RAM memory usage, data structures or caching
> architecture ?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Posted at Nginx Forum: http://forum.nginx.org/read.php?2,134286,134286#msg-134286
>
>
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