HTTP/2: A New Excerpt from High Performance Browser Networking

The new HTTP/2 standard is finally here. Approved earlier this year, HTTP/2 adds a new binary framing layer that will help make applications faster, simpler, and more robust. This chapter from the new release of High Performance Browser Networking provides a brief look at this updated protocol and explains how it will reduce latency, minimize protocol overhead, and add support for request prioritization and server push.

In this excerpt, author Ilya Grigorik takes you through HTTP/2's design and technical goals, and explains how Google's SPDY played a critical role in the protocol's development. You'll also learn what's required for upgrading a multitude of servers and clients to HTTP/2.

This excerpt covers:

• HTTP/2's binary framing layer
• Streams, messages, and frames
• Request and response multiplexing
• Stream prioritization
• One connection per origin
• Flow control
• Server push
• Header compression