shapj@us.ibm.com wrote:
>
> > Can a process spawned by a CGI stay around after the CGI request is done?
> >
> >Yes.
> >
> > Can it establish its own TCP/IP communications, and can these stick
> around?
> >
> >Yes.
>
> Not in general. In the face of firewalls, HTTP requests may get through
> where all other sockets are denied. In the limit, it may be that the right
> thing to do is to get the IANA to assign an official port number for VAT
> services, and start encouraging firewalls to allow it.
Hang on - the question was what CGIs can do. What the networking infrastructure does to networking apps in general is a different question.
Also, I'm not clear what you are asking firewalls to allow - in my case, if a protected host wants to act as a server, it takes an active proxy, so you have to do more (and less) than specify a port number... most firewalls that do more than mere filtering will have this problem.
Cheers,
Ben.
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