HTTP/2 is a significant upgrade from HTTP/1.1, offering faster page loading times, reduced latency, and improved security. It's essential for modern websites, especially those with resource-heavy content or a focus on mobile performance.
Since its inception, the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) has powered the World Wide Web, delivering content to users. Over time, several versions of HTTP have been released, each bringing essential enhancements for more efficient data transfer and flexibility.
HTTP began with HTTP/0.9, a simple protocol designed to fetch only HTML files. It then evolved into HTTP/1.0, introducing headers for sending various types of documents. Later, HTTP/1.1 became the standard, and it remains widely used by modern web browsers.
Despite its long-standing use, HTTP/1.1 has struggled with issues such as speed, security, and ease of use. These challenges paved the way for HTTP/2, designed to address these limitations.
You may wonder, “What is HTTP/2, and how will it benefit my website?” Let’s take a closer look at HTTP/2, the newest iteration of the protocol that promises faster performance and improved user experience.
2015 saw a significant overhaul of HTTP/1.1 with the introduction of HTTP/2. Based on Google’s SPDY (speedy) protocol, the newest HTTP protocol focused on delivering quick page loading times and reduced round-trip time (or the time it takes for browsers to send and receive requests).
HTTP/2 aims to achieve those goals for a better experience on web pages, including resource-heavy ones.
But what exactly is the SPDY protocol? It’s a process that improves how HTTP handles requests and responses. It was an experimental protocol developed at Google and launched around mid-2009.
SPDY aimed to reduce latency while browsing through Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) pipelining and mandatory compression. Some of the other goals the project wanted to achieve include:
During its initial run, Google software engineers Mike Belshe and Roberto Peon saw a significant improvement in the site’s performance. Come 2012, major sites like Chrome, Firefox, and Opera adopted SPDY.
Later that year, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook started to deploy SPDY within their infrastructure. Ultimately, SPDY was on the fast track to becoming the de facto standard protocol among large and small sites.
Inspired by the incredible results that SPDY drove, the HTTP Working Group (HTTP-WG) started working on HTTP/2. They took all the lessons they learned during SPDY’s initial launch and decided to build on them.
They drafted an entirely new chapter and published an open call for HTTP 2.0 proposals. After lengthy discussions within the group, it was decided that the SPDY specification would be the starting point for HTTP/2.
Over the next few years, both SPDY and HTTP 2.0 continued to evolve until the latter set itself apart from Google’s protocol. The HTTP/2 has introduced new features, such as multiplexing, fixed header compression algorithms, prioritization, and protocol negotiation.
The HTTP/1.1 was designed to simplify implementation. However, this simplicity came at the cost of application performance.
HTTP/1.1 users must use multiple connections to achieve concurrency and reduce latency.
They also receive unnecessary network traffic since HTTP/1.1 cannot compress requests and response headers.
While these limitations are not fatal to web applications, they can significantly affect user experience, especially for resource-intensive applications and those that are on slower networks.
HTTP/2 addressed these gaps by enhancing the existing HTTP standards. Let’s examine each of these changes and how they differ from HTTP/1.1’s features.
HTTP/1.1 usually transmits plain text requests and responses, while HTTP/2 converts messages into binary with a binary frame layer. Thanks to this feature, HTTP 2.0 can send binary data with the same verbs, methods, headers, and other semantics. The protocol can also use new data delivery processes, making it different from HTTP/1.1.
Regarding data delivery, HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 leverage unique delivery models. Here’s how each framework works.
After a client sends an HTTP GET request, the protocol usually delivers a page with links to the necessary resources for the requested page. That page will only load if it has those resources, and the client will have to retrieve them with multiple requests.
HTTP/1 had clients sending new requests after reconnecting to the TCP protocol. However, the HTTP/1.1 rollout resolved the issue through persistent connections and pipelining. Persistent connections work through an always-open single TCP connection that lets clients consistently make multiple requests over that connection.
But sometimes, head-of-line blocking (HOL) can take place. HOL occurs when the first request in a queue blocks other requests, particularly after receiving none of its necessary resources.
Unlike HTTP/1.1, which uses pipelining, HTTP/2 features multiplexing. Multiplexing lets the protocol transmit multiple requests simultaneously via TCP, allowing servers and browsers to serve multi-resource web pages. In doing so, HTTP 2.0 resolves head-of-line blocking.
Clients and servers on TCP connections use a set amount of buffer space for incoming requests. By leveraging buffers, those systems can handle intermittent connections and multiple or substantial requests.
However, clients and servers can also have limited space to accommodate HTTP requests. Small buffer sizes can lead to overflow, and HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 tackle this problem differently.
In HTTP/1.1, a TCP connection handles buffer overflow. Clients and servers connect to the protocol and base buffer sizes on their default settings. Sometimes, the receiver relays its remaining buffer space or receives a window from the sender. This scenario applies if the receiver has some data in its buffer.
When the receiver sends its receive window, that message is delivered in an ACK packet. Through the packet, the sender knows that the receiver picked up the opening signal. But there are times when the sender won’t transmit any data. That’s because the receiver has zero buffer space.
It’s also worth noting that HTTP/1.1 prevents buffer overflow with its transport layer. As a result, new TCP connections would need their own flow control process. But with its multiplexing capabilities, HTTP 2.0 takes a different approach to a buffer overflow.
As HTTP/2 implements multiplexing, receiving windows over TCP connections won’t be able to control single-stream transfers. Having clients and servers handle the flow of multiple data streams helps the protocol avoid this issue.
Instead of using their default settings to determine buffer sizes, clients and servers can base their receive windows on the number of multiplexed streams. These systems do so when they get the available buffer space from the application layer.
A WINDOW_UPDATE frame can also help adjust or maintain HTTP 2.0‘s flow control capabilities.
Clients typically get an index page when they request a web page. Loading that page might require more resources, leading to more requests from the client, which translates to more loading time. Let’s look at how HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 deal with this problem.
Resource inlining involves adding required resources to HTML documents transmitted to clients. Developers can use this method if they already know what resources are necessary for specific web pages.
Unfortunately, resource inlining has developed the following issues:
Using this technique to insert bigger, non-text resources in HTML documents can result in bigger documents. In turn, those files can slow connections down and make inlining useless.
The client can’t reject its current resources or add specific ones to its cache.
That said, resource inlining keeps clients from setting resources and documents apart.
The server push method gives HTTP 2.0 servers exceptional control for optimal connections. During this process, a server will place resources that a web page might need into a browser’s cache. This step can be done before the client asks for any necessary resources so browsers can immediately deliver content to users.
HTTP/1.1 developers often compress data in gzip and similar programs to create smaller CSS and JavaScript files. However, servers tend to transmit plain text headers. These systems send slightly small headers, but that data can overwhelm the connection. As a result, API and resource-heavy web apps are affected.
Cookies can also pose a challenge when it comes to compression. While servers can deliver small headers, cookies can create larger ones. HTTP/2 fixes this issue with HPACK compression, a method that helps reduce header size.
HPACK works by creating smaller headers after those elements are split. It compresses headers with Huffman coding, which helps the program encode metadata for smaller headers. Lastly, HPACK can track and compress transmitted metadata fields.
HTTP 2.0 is still the best security protocol. Today’s web browsers use this protocol when users are on encrypted HTTP/2 connections, which ensures higher user and application security.
Along with advanced features, HTTP 2.0 has several advantages over its predecessors. Here’s what makes this protocol great for your website.
There have been more mobile web users in the last few years. HTTP/2 understands current web usage trends—for instance, its features help achieve less latency while browsing on mobile. Additionally, this HTTP version offers high performance and security for a better mobile web experience.
Online businesses are going “mobile-first” to attract more customers. This strategy involves providing users with an optimal mobile experience.
Sadly, not all types of mobile device hardware can keep up because of long processing times. Using HTTP 2.0 can result in faster load times and mobile network latency for a better mobile experience.
Nowadays, the World Wide Web’s focus is on the quick delivery of media-rich content. Users want to consume their preferred content and services right away. However, some startups can’t afford a cloud-based platform to serve content right away.
With features that can shrink resource sizes by several bytes, HTTP/2 can help you seamlessly deliver media-rich content to users.
Client and server requests are using more and more resources to serve media-rich content and render complex web designs. HTTP 2.0 is a viable and reliable answer to existing web optimization strategies, with features like header compression and multiplexing working toward better network usage.
Innovation and exceptional Web performance are two of HTTP/2‘s best qualities. The SPDY protocol became the foundation of HTTP 2.0‘s features, and those capabilities are on their way to supersede SPDY and older HTTP versions. HTTP/2 is practical for high-performing websites and online services as it provides simpler approaches to optimizing web performance.
HTTP/2 can also help your website rank higher on search engines. Overlooking the protocol and its potential benefits for your online business is a no-no, especially if your brand doesn’t have enough organic users. With HTTP 2.0, your business can compete with big brands and climb the search ladder.
Here’s how you can set up HTTP 2.0 on your website:
HTTP 2.0 stands out from its predecessors with cutting-edge features designed to optimize web performance. Implementing this robust protocol can help your brand improve page loading speed, content delivery capabilities, and SEO performance. In turn, visitors can enjoy better UX.
Is your website in need of an upgrade? Growth Rocket’s web development experts can help you boost your storefront’s performance. Our team will help you set up your website to support HTTP/2.
Get in touch with us today to begin your journey toward a faster, more efficient website.
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