HTTP/2 (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Version 2) introduces radical design changes to improve web performance, reduce latency, and optimize network resources compared to its predecessor, HTTP/1.1.
Here are the top 10 advanced features implemented in HTTP/2 servers: 1. Request and Response Multiplexing
Traditional servers queue requests sequentially, leading to “head-of-line blocking”. An HTTP/2 server can break down multiple requests and responses into independent frames and interleave them concurrently over a single TCP connection. This allows assets like images, CSS, and JavaScript to load in parallel without waiting for one another. 2. Binary Framing Layer
Unlike HTTP/1.1 which parses plain text commands, HTTP/2 converts all communication into binary-encoded messages. This lower-level binary architecture is much more compact, significantly easier for servers to parse, and dramatically reduces transmission errors. 3. HPACK Header Compression
HTTP headers are notoriously verbose and repetitive. HTTP/2 uses an advanced compression algorithm called HPACK to split headers into a static and dynamic table. It removes redundant metadata and only transmits differences between requests, reducing serialization overhead and saving mobile bandwidth. 4. HTTP/2 Server Push HTTP/1 vs HTTP/2 What is the Difference? – Wallarm