Gateway server definition
A gateway is a network node that connects two networks with different transmission protocols. Gateways allow us to use the internet, communicate, and send data back and forth. A gateway server is a device that brokers transactions between a client computer and another server. It transforms data streams to match device capabilities. For example, a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) gateway server transforms HTML to WML (Wireless Markup Language) for the client’s wireless device.
How it works
- A gateway server is typically used for serving content to clients that would be unable to access the remote server or to impose additional security restrictions on the client.
- The gateway hides the remote server from the end user. The content they’re accessing appears to come directly from the gateway server.
- The portal becomes the single point of access for content, allowing remote servers to reside on a private network behind a firewall.
- Users can view the content even if they can’t access it directly – as long as the portal can connect to the remote server.
- When a user enters a URL, this request is automatically rerouted through the portal. The user sees the content as coming from the portal, while the remote server remains an unknown back-end system.
