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There can be only one! The future of Application Layer Protocols

Delve into the evolution of application layer protocols with a focus on HTTP, exploring its extensibility, limitations, and the need for a new framework. Discover the impact of HTTP/1.1, the challenges of protocol convergence, and prospects for HTTP's next generation.

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There can be only one! The future of Application Layer Protocols

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  1. There can be only one!The future of Application Layer Protocols Henrik Frystyk Nielsen

  2. Purpose of this Talk • Convergence of Application level Protocols • …and the emergence of the Big Hammer Protocol with the small heart • Similar to what is happening to XML • Working towards a framework • Avoiding flag days • What a Framework Doesn’t Solve • Distributed Extensibility vs. interoperability There can be only one

  3. HTTP/1.1 - The Big Fire Fighter • Main purpose was to fix three problems • Provide a semantically well-defined caching model • Support vanity hostnames • Limiting waste of TCP connections • Criteria for solutions was that the user would see a clear win • People need personal incentives to change • Implementors need clear market benefit to implement • Goal was Achieved - deployment is underway • Performance has improved a lot There can be only one

  4. Hmm, but how do we Extend it? • Extensibility wasn’t part of the basic 1.1 package • HTTP is not a centrally controlled protocol • Has maybe never been • It’s extended by everybody for any possible purpose • No structured way of extending HTTP • Extend and hope for the best! • Layering is implicit - looks and feels like hairball • No explicit type information • Using POST as a tunnel mechanism • Reducing HTTP to a byte transport There can be only one

  5. HTTP at the Center of the Typhoon • Clear tendency in protocol design from... • Similar protocols with different background (IMAP etc.), to • Protocols that are largely copying HTTP(RTSP, SIP etc.), to • Protocols that use HTTP POST (IPP etc.), to • Protocols that copy pieces for easier integration with HTTP (TIP etc.), to • Actual HTTP extensions (DAV etc.) There can be only one

  6. But Why Only One? • The Convergence is inevitable! • Application layer protocol development is driven by application programmers • They don’t want to have different protocol engines for highly related tasks • Users don’t want to know the difference • Interested in getting my job done • Don’t want to get stopped by error messages: I can’t talk to that guy! • Shared Platform (not necessarily interoperability) There can be only one

  7. But Why HTTP? • Has a lot of flexibility for “creative” usage • Many interactions are not defined in the HTTP/1.1 spec • For example, is end-to-end really end-to-end? • Often enough to get the work done • Few are interested in the beauty of solutions • But stretching the limits of its extensibility • Interactions are becoming more and more complex • Interoperability at stake! • We need a more powerful framework! There can be only one

  8. HTTP - the Next Generation • The generic application level protocol • A simple, extensible framework • Protocols become Profiles • Explicit Layering and modularization • Break up the big “lump” style 1.x messages • Extensibility at the core • Lessons from our HTTP/PEP/Mandatory work • Not quite RPC, not quite messages • Who cares? There can be only one

  9. What a Framework Doesn’t Solve • Will distributed extensibility lead to chaos? • How do extensions coexist? • Two extensions land on the same agent - can they speak, are they orthogonal or do they conflict? • Central Registration has its place • Extension Policing required • Granularity of Extensions Important • Will probably be lumped together in bigger packets There can be only one

  10. More Information on the Web • HTTP-NG Project • HTTP-NG Activity • HTTP-NG Working Groups (W3C Members only) • HTTP/1.x Overview • W3C Member Site • W3C There can be only one

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