additional response status codes

Hi all,
I suggest one or more additional response codes to take into consideration for the
following situations:

In the case when a proxy want to offer a different/no proxy to use instead.
(Now can return 403 forbidden only.)
[explanation]
There are good reasons to make possible a such offer:

when a proxy server moves,

when [the admin of] the proxy knows a better choice for a given origin server
or for a given user,

when a proxy to proxy (routing like) protocoll will be available, and a better
choice is learned from that protocoll,

when a caching proxy want to offer bypass, because knows that the 
response isn't cacheable (by cacheing only the Cache-Control directive from a 
previously forwarded request).

Some additional reponse headers can be used to differentiate between different
reasons and the Location: (and URI: for additional alternetives) can be used to
carry the URL of the recommended proxies.

Sometimes even origin servers may use this feature when a very distant client
makes a direct request.

This new response code(s) improves the protocol because it makes possible
new features, resulting better scaleablility of the Web.

Andrew. (Endre Balint Nagy) <bne@bne.ind.eunet.hu>

Received on Sunday, 1 October 1995 06:08:36 UTC