At the moment, HTTP/2 is supported by leading browsers such as Firefox, Chrome. Apple has announced the future release of HTTP/2. It’s used on millions of websites and provides a few more benefits than its predecessor HTTP/1.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the mechanism a browser uses to request information from a server and display web pages on your screen. HTTP 1.1 has been going since 1999, however, it is now starting to show its age.
Therefore, HTTP/2 is a replacement for HTTP 1.1 which offers new ways of transporting data between the browser and server across the internet.
It uses most of the same technologies as HTTP 1.1, but is more efficient and allows servers to respond with more content than was originally requested, removing the need for user’s computers to continually and requests for more information until a website is fully loaded.
HTTP/2 offers many improvements in comparison to HTTP 1.1:
Faster transfer of information
HTTP/2 uses binary protocols in comparison to HTTP 1.1 which used textual rules making HTTP/2 more efficient, more compact “on the wire” and less error prone.
With the use of compression, server push and multiplex HTTP/2 can waste less time sending and waiting for large amounts of information to the server creating traffic of information.
HTTP/2 is fully multiplexed
Only one request can be outstanding on a connection at a time. HTTP 1.1 tried to fix this with pipelining.
Multiplexing addresses these problems by allowing multiple request and response messages to be in flight at the same time; it is even possible to intermingle parts of one message with another on the wire.
HTTP 1.1 practically only allows one outstanding request per TCP connection, in the old browsers have used multiple TCP connections to issue parallel requests. If there are too many connections used, it is counter-productive (TCP congestion control is negated).
A large number of demands means a lot duplicated “on the wire”. Making too many pull requests hurts performance. Server push allows the server to avoid this round trip of delay by “pushing” the responses it thinks the client will need into its cache.
It also allows multiplexing addresses the problem of multiple requests. Using so many connections unfairly monopolises network resources, “stealing” them from other, better-behaved applications (e.g. VoIP).
HTTP/2 uses server pushes
SPDY augments HTTP with several speed-related features that can dramatically reduce page load time. SPDY/2 is the basis for HTTP/2.
SPDY allows the server to push resources to the client that it knows the client will need (e.g. JavaScript and CSS files) without waiting for the clients browser to request them, allowing the server to make efficient use of un-utilised bandwidth.
HTTP/2 allows the server to “push” content, that is, to respond to data for more queries than the client requested.
This enables the server to supply data it knows a web browser will need to render a web page, without waiting for the browser to examine the first response, and without the overhead of an additional request cycle.
SPDY has shown evident improvement from HTTP, at a minimum, the transfer speed with SPDY can improve by about 10 percent and, in some cases, can reach numbers closer to 40 percent.
Such has been the success of SPDY, in 2012 the group of Google engineers behind the project decided to create a new protocol based on the technology.
The new protocol will also speed up mobile browsing
Mobile browsing is a modern and rising vehicle for searches. Therefore, the increase in speed for mobiles is necessary to satisfy consumers browsing experiences. Better security than previous versions through an improved version of transport layer security (TLS 1.2).
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that ensures privacy between communicating applications and their users on the Internet.
When a server and client communicate, TLS ensures that no third party may eavesdrop or tamper with any message. TLS is the successor to the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
Conclusion
HTTP/2 is a more efficient and faster way to request information from a server. HTTP 1.1 has become outdated; it was created at a time when web pages were less resource intensive and when it was simply static HTML.
With the complexity of modern-day content, HTTP/2 is more adapted to respond efficiently and effectively to information requests on a greater level.
It is likely that we’ll see high profile websites and services, including those who have implemented SPDY – including Google, Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and Yahoo using HTTP/2.
Chances are you will not even realise it when the switch is made; unless you are in the habit of timing load times for your favourite sites.
Plus, you’ll still just see “HTTP” or “HTTPS” in the address bar, so, life will continue, as usual, but a bit faster. Overall, HTTP/2 will increase user experience, profit and overall satisfaction.
