RE: SSL Webservices through Proxy Server : Does anyone have a definite answer on whether it is possible or not ?

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Another formulation of the message tittle could be :
is it really "safe" (in the business sense) to embed a SSL webservice
consumer into any given software, given that any time a proxy server
will be encountered, then the call will fail (based on my knowledge) ?

....Different Player, shoot again... I am asking a question which was
posted several times in the last months, but never answered;
any advice / insight would be appreciated.

The question is simple, though worrying : are secured (https / ssl) web
services functional if you have to query them through a proxy server ?

I fell into a giant opened trap which can be described as below :
- Step 1 : Setup a webservice (any type of web service)
- Step 2 : Secure it and make it accessible only via https (many
articles explain how to do this).
- Step 3 : Bundle it inside your .Net software and make sure that the
SSL certificate is correctly handled
(if you are running a test certificate, you can use the
trick described at
http://weblogs.asp.net/jan/archive/2003/12/04/41154.aspx
)
- Step 4 : Wait for the first person who will want to use your software
but is only allowed to access the web through a proxy
(Because her/his system administrator has decided that
internet access should not be provided any other way)

==> Then you are trapped. I tried many alternatives, but none of them
worked. I even tried to install several proxy software and to
check whether something could be done inside their configuration, with
no luck...

Did I miss a point ? Any good advice or definite answer would be
appreciated.


My only alternatives at that time are to select where to open a
security hole (i.e either get rid of the https / SSL protection on my
webservice, or ask all my customers to bypass their proxy and/or
firewall in order to access the webservice); and I don't like that.


For interested people, here are some links to other unanswered posts /
articles related to the same question :

http://groups.google.fr/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.webservices/browse_thread/thread/3f8f7fcbcf47b565/ffe872c5bfc9ba14?lnk=gst&q=ssl+proxy&rnum=3&hl=fr#ffe872c5bfc9ba14

http://discuss.fogcreek.com/dotnetquestions/default.asp?cmd=show&ixPost=5463

Thanks !

Pascal T.

I have just "found" your request.... Did you ever work out how to do or is it not possible? I have found myself in a similar situation.

TIA

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