Advantages of HTTP/2
Binary Protocol
HTTP/2 is a binary-based protocol, whereas HTTP/1.1 is a text-based protocol. It ensures the simplified implementation of commands that previously could be puzzled due to the optional whitespaces when using the text-based protocol. Unlike plaintext implementation of HTTP/1.1, the HTTP/2 communication is split into smaller frames encoded in binary format.
Multiplexing
HTTP/2 supports multiplexing, whereas its earlier versions didn't support multiplexing. Multiplexing enables sending multiple requests and receiving numerous responses on a single connection to the webserver. Multiplexing helps to reduce the extra time that HTTP/1.1 used to make connections multiple times for each request.
Compression
HTTP/2 comes with in-built compression for the request headers, while HTTP/1.1 doesn't compress headers by default. Modern applications use different headers like authorization, caching, user information, etc. Now, compressing the header for single requests may not bring a considerable change, but in high-traffic web applications, a lot of data can be saved by compressing the request header.
Security
Due to the introduction of the binary protocol in HTTP/2 has become immune to specific risks such as response splitting attacks. The attackers tried to manipulate the request header by injecting whitespaces in the text of request headers which is now impossible due to binary formatting in HTTP/2.
Buffer Overflow
When the client and server interact, there are some requests that, at times, are not processed yet. So these requests are stored in the buffer space. HTTP/1.1 implemented the management of the available buffer space in the transport layer. Whereas, in HTTP/2, the client and the server can implement their flow control to communicate the availability of buffer space.
Performance
HTTP/2 has better performance than its predecessors. It allows the server to push the responses into the client's caches without waiting for the request for each source. It also has optimized prioritization of requests, ensuring that the loading is as fast as possible for a better experience. All communications in HTTP/2 are performed on a single TCP connection which reduces the additional round trip times which makes the website load faster without any other optimization.
Compatibility
HTTP/2.0 supports the methods, status codes, and header fields defined by HTTP/1.1 standards, and it also has server-side backward compatibility, which makes sure that it can serve the clients supporting only HTTP/1.1.
You can read related articles such as Congestion Control in Computer Networks here.
Drawbacks of HTTP/2
There are certain drawbacks to HTTP/2. Some of them are listed below:
- HTTP/2 could be fast, but it had a restriction to be compatible with HTTP/1.1, which led to a slower version.
- The compression of page headers is vulnerable to security breaches and attacks.
- Encryption of data is not made mandatory in HTTP/2. The web application owner can choose a lower security level even after the availability of better security. HTTP/2 had to be compatible with its previous version; that's why its developers decided to leave the encryption level to as it is in HTTP/1.1
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The use of cookies is a big security concern. It contains sensitive client information like user names and passwords stored by the servers to provide a seamless user experience. HTTP/2 could have replaced the cookies with new advanced technologies.
You can also read about mime protocol.
You can also read about the Layered Architecture in Computer Network.
Frequently Asked Questions
HTTP is implemented on which layer of the OSI model?
Application layer
Can I use HTTP/2 now?
Yes, HTTP/2 is supported by most modern browsers.
Who developed HTTP/2?
It is developed by the HTTP working group of the Internet Engineering Task Force(IETF)
When was the HTTP/2 released?
HTTP/2 was published in the year 2015
Are HTTPS and HTTP/2 the same?
No, they are not the same. HTTPS secures the client-server connection, ensuring data is encrypted, and HTTP/2 allows for multiplexing.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned about HTTP/2, its advantages, and its drawbacks. I hope you have learned something from this article. Don't stop here; know how data is transferred over the transmission line here to increase your knowledge of Computer Networks further.
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