Page 67 - Cyber Warnings

This update to HTTP was necessary, as when HTTP was first developed, websites didn’t use
Flash, JavaScript, CSS and the like. Developers have had to use workarounds for these
elements, which will no longer be necessary with HTTP/2.

Domain sharding, which is a technique for splitting resources across multiple domains in order
to improve page load time, will also not be necessary.

HTTP/2 will provide:

Multiplexing, which enables multiple requests to pass over a single TCP connection,
eliminating a need for multiple connections between client and server. This decreases the load
on servers.

Stream dependencies, which allows the client to dictate to the server which resources are
more important than others.

Server push, which allows the server to send resources to the client - resources that the client
has not yet requested - but very likely needs.

Header compression, which is the data compression of the HTTP header to reduce overhead.

Binary code information transfer, which allows for a more efficient transfer of data. With
HTTP, data was sent via text and the host would have to translate it through parsing, adding an
extra step to the process.

What site owners need to do for HTTP/2

Leading browsers are already beginning to support HTTP/2, as are leading web servers. Site
owners should prepare to take advantage of the benefits of HTTP/2, as there are many.

In short, no immediate preparation is needed for HTTP/2. Your websites and applications will
continue to work properly, and likely better, performing more efficiently and consuming fewer
resources.

However, there are a few things site owners need to keep in mind in order to get the most out of
HTTP/2. Firstly, all the workarounds developers have used to have design elements like Flash
animation and CSS working optimally on HTTP are no longer necessary, and should be
undone.

Domain sharding should also be stopped. Not only are these workarounds unnecessary, but
they may cause sub-optimizations.

You should also consider encrypting your content, as most major browsers have stated they will
only use HTTP/2 if the website uses transport layer security (TLS). Users will still be able to
access unencrypted sites; the browser will simply revert to HTTP, therefore negating the
HTTP/2 benefits.

67 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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