Benefits of HTTP2

Benefits of HTTP2

Has not been an easy task for the developers make websites so affordable and reliable as they are today. Taking decades of work, that success was driven by the creation of an external software and accessories that complement the existing framework of an application or web site.

Now there is a new alternative that improve performance: The HTTP2, a new update of the Protocol to HTTP IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). HTTP2 is the spiritual successor of HTTP / 1 and it provides much-needed changes in security, speed and usability.

We will explore some of the main features on the implementation of the Protocol and major benefits of HTTP2:

Don't be afraid to update

to get started, HTTP2 is compatible with HTTP / 1. When you decide to make the change, your users don't necessarily know that they are browsing HTTP2. Anyone using a device that does not support HTTP / 2 you will not find difficulties and it will automatically navigate to the HTTP protocol / 1.

Discredit the myth TLS

There has been much confusion (or possibly misinformation) on whether HTTP2 only works through a secure TLS connection. While many items have commented, not has no mention of such a statement in the final draft of HTTP2. In fact, indicates that HTTP / 2 run it through a TCP connection also.

But nevertheless, on the basis of security considerations, companies such as Google (Chrome) and Firefox (Mozilla) they have publicly stated that only enabled HTTP2 sailing in their browsers if the given web site is executed through a secure connection.

Multiplexing – Multiple requests per connection

With HTTP / 1 It is much easier to download a large file that placed hundreds of small files one after the other. At the same time, There are significant performance leaks and the client needs to download the entire file to obtain only some icons by page update.

HTTP2 makes a considerable improvement for this, with a feature called multiplexing. Multiplexing allows the client to load multiple applications on the same connection, allowing a time of concurrent load faster for all important web assets.

Prioritize – First loading the essential resources

One of the pitfalls of HTTP / 1 It is the minificacion of JavaScript and CSS files. This was done to save bandwidth and, ultimately, improve performance based on smaller files sizes.

The new prioritization HTTP2 will enable developers to assign levels of dependency for your code. Since requests are simultaneous with HTTP 2, load a dozen of small style sheet files will not be a problem.

HPACK compression – Reduction of waste in the headlines

HTTP / 1 It transmits the requests and responses from the server in plain text, which leads to a lot of extra data that is being transferred. HTTP 2 It reduces the amount of data transmitting it into binary code, and keeping it in a simple way so that a client's computer interpret information sent. This will not only improve the performance, but that mobile device users will feel a noticeable improvement in overall performance both the charging time.

Favoritism on Google

Google already promotes sites that use HTTP 2.

Multipple ways Google defended many features of the HTTP protocol 2. If we go to November of 2009, the Google research team announced the SPeeDY project (SPDY), in order to make the web faster. And some features that SPDY introduced were:

• Simultaneous downloads optimized within a single TCP connection.
• Allow browsers to first seek crucial assets in a web page.
• Optimize and improve the compression of HTTP header.
• The integration of a feature known as “Server Push”, It allows the server to deliver crucial data before the browser request.

HTTP / 2 He has followed in the footsteps of the SPDY project. Google always helps those who are following the latest trends and methods that enhance the web experience. They have made clear there will be no direct improvements in the ranking of search engines just by the choice to use HTTP / 2. Instead, the speed of the web site (It is strongly related and improved http / 2) It will remain a Google ranking factor (It is said that GoogleBot has been updated to support HTTP / 2 also).

Is then worth the change to HTTP2?

Of course! Given the fact that HTTP / 2 It is also compatible with the browser, There is little to lose. The infrastructure of a web site is not only improves performance, but also in the customer satisfaction. Therefore, set HTTP2 benefits, making the change is recommended.