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How MyOwnProxy Works

MyOwnProxy coordinates proxy infrastructure that runs on systems you control. Applications normally connect through a Pool, which lets MyOwnProxy select an eligible Node for each proxy connection.

Control plane and data plane

MyOwnProxy separates configuration and operational management from proxy traffic.

The control plane manages resource configuration, Gateway assignments, Pool membership, Proxy Credentials, and operational status. Gateways and Nodes report health and status through heartbeats. The control plane also provides the configuration they need to operate.

The data plane carries proxy traffic through the Gateway and Node infrastructure you control. It follows this path:

Application -> Gateway -> Pool selection -> Node -> Internet

Proxy traffic does not pass through the MyOwnProxy control plane. The control plane does not receive request or response content, normal connection destinations, source application addresses, or per-connection byte counts. The customer-controlled Gateway can retain local connection diagnostics; see Data Plane Privacy.

Pool-based proxy access

Pool access is the normal operating mode:

  1. Your application opens a SOCKS5 connection to the Gateway using the connection details for the Proxy and a Proxy Credential.
  2. The Gateway authenticates the connection and identifies the selected Pool.
  3. MyOwnProxy selects an eligible Node from that Pool.
  4. The Gateway routes the connection through the selected Node.
  5. The Node provides the Internet exit connection.

The Nodes in a Pool define which exits are eligible to serve its Proxy. If a Node is not a member of the Pool, its Gateway assignment alone does not make it eligible for that Proxy.

For use cases that require a particular exit, an application can connect through a specific Node instead. Direct Node access is secondary to Pool access, but it also uses SOCKS5 and a Proxy Credential.

Gateway assignment and Pool membership

Gateway assignment and Pool membership describe different relationships:

  • Every Node is assigned to a Gateway for connectivity and management.
  • A Node can also be included in a Pool so that it can serve that Pool's Proxy traffic.

Moving a Node to another Gateway does not require manual configuration changes on the Node. MyOwnProxy applies the new assignment automatically. The Node may be temporarily unavailable for proxy traffic while the change is applied.

Proxy Credential scope

MyOwnProxy supports two Proxy Credential scopes:

  • Temporary credentials are scoped to a Gateway.
  • Persistent credentials are scoped to the Customer.

Credential rotation or revocation may take around 30 seconds to propagate and become fully effective.

Operations and software lifecycle

Observability uses heartbeat information to show the operational health and status of Gateways and Nodes. Heartbeats contain operational information; they do not carry customer proxy traffic.

MyOwnProxy administrators currently perform customer-facing software, security-patch, and reboot actions. MyOwnProxy coordinates Node version updates, supported Node security patches, and required Node reboots with you, and manages MyOwnProxy application software.

You remain responsible for Gateway operating-system upgrades and Gateway OS security packages.

Next steps