Ventus Proxy For Webservices (VPFW) is the first XML/SOAP webservices proxy server on the market.

VPFW intercepts all client requests. The client connects directly to VPFW requesting a given service from the webservice provider, and VPFW returns the results of the execution of this service (either by connecting to the webservice servers to receive the results or by returning the results in VPFW's own cache).

VPFW has the following features:

1. A proxy server for caching XML/SOAP documents.

	VPFW can handle requests without connecting to the webservice servers. When the client requests a service, VPFW stores a local copy of the results of the execution of this service. If afterwards the same or a different client requests the same service, VPFW will return its local copy. VPFW can establish a series of cache rules that assure VPFW's local copy of the content that is returned is correct.

2. A non-transparent proxy server.

	VPFW can modify the incoming request and the response to that request in order to provide additional services such as response compression, value substitution in the response document according to values in the request document, load balancing of incoming requests against a group of webservice servers, etc.

3. A reverse proxy server.

	VPFW is configured as a reverse proxy for server mode webservices (in other words, webservices in which the owner of the VPFW acts as a data provider). In this case, VPFW is installed in front of the webservice servers, intercepting all incoming client requests. With this configuration, VPFW provides the following funcionality:
		Document validation: VPFW can validate XML and SOAP documents using xsd schemas.
		SSL request processing: VPFW unencrypts the received secure client request and transforms it into an unsecure request before redirecting it to the webservice servers, freeing them from having to unencrypt and afterwards encrypt the request.
		Load balancing: VPFW can load balance between a group of webservice servers, re-writing each request's URL to send it to the correct server. This is achieved by the external URL to internal URL transformation.
		Compression: VPFW can return the response to the client compressed if the client has placed an accept-encoding header in the request, freeing the webservice servers from the compression process. Both gzip and deflate algorithms are supported.
		Server protection: VPFW can decide if a given request, not found in cache, should be sent to the webservice servers or not. There are 4 different criteria used to restrict the requests' access to the webservice servers, and these restrictions can be applied at the webservice service (call) level or at the client level.
		Security: IP address access restriction, access denial for requests that do not correspond to any of the provider's webservices and access denial to webservice services for non-authenticated users.

4. A forward proxy server.

	VPFW is cofigured as a forward proxy server for client mode webservices (in other words, webservices in which the owner of the VPFW acts as a client of data provided by a webservice provider). In this case, VPFW is installed directly behind the webservice servers, intercepting all out-going client application requests. With this configuration, VPFW provides the following funcionality:
		Document validation: VPFW can validate XML and SOAP documents using xsd schemas.
		SSL request processing: VPFW encrypts the unsecure client request received from the client application and transforms it into a secure request before redirecting it to the webservice servers, freeing them from having to encrypt and afterwards unencrypt the request.
		Load balancing: VPFW can load balance between a group of webservice servers, re-writing each request's URL to send it to the correct server. This is achieved by the internal URL to external URL transformation.
		Compression: VPFW can request that the provider webservice servers compress the response by modifying the accept-encoding request header. If the provider is capable of returning the response in the requested format (gzip and deflate algoritnms are supported), VPFW automatically uncompresses the response before returning it to the client application, thus freeing it from the compression process.

5. Content analysis proxy server.

	VPFW can trace all requests and their responses, thus generating detailed statistics for all webservice activity: client access, webservices call usage, server response time, incoming and outgoing data transfer volume, webservices-generated error analysis, etc.