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Approaches for Asynchronous Communication in Web Applications

Approaches for Asynchronous Communication in Web Applications. Stefan Potthast and Mike Rowe. Stefan Potthast, M.Sc. Computer Science Department University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Germany stefan.potthast@sopheon.de. Mike Rowe, Ph.D. Computer Science and

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Approaches for Asynchronous Communication in Web Applications

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  1. Approaches for Asynchronous Communication in Web Applications Stefan Potthastand Mike Rowe

  2. Stefan Potthast, M.Sc. Computer Science Department University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Germany stefan.potthast@sopheon.de Mike Rowe, Ph.D. Computer Science and Software Engineering Department University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI 53818 rowemi@uwplatt.edu Contact Information

  3. Outline of Topics • Synchronous Web Pages • Asynchronous Web Applications • Asynchronous Web Technologies • Metrics • Results • Conclusions

  4. Web pages are becoming more complex and dynamic

  5. Synchronous Communication Architecture • UI direct initiates the HTTP request and is blocked until the response is returned. • This loads a complete new page  often high latency – high bandwidth requirements • Page metaphor of the Web

  6. Asynchronous CommunicationArchitecture • Transaction and Embedding (T&E) process is added to the browser. • The T&E process handles communications with the Web Server • This frees the User Interface from blocking

  7. Asynchronous Communication Architecture • Rather than making HTTP Requests directly, the UI sends asynchronous requests to the T&E • The T&E in turn sends requests for content to the server. • When content is returned the T&E embeds the new content. • Under this mechanism the UI is not blocked and it more closely resembles a desktop application. • This mechanism has been available for many years, being initially deployed as ActiveX.

  8. Asynchronous Communication Architecture • Blocking of the interface for User • Loading of a complete new page only the changed data needed • Often high Lower latency and Lower Bandwidth requirements. • Page metaphor of the Web User Experience is that of a Desktop Application

  9. AJAX • In 2005 Jesse James Garrett described a combination of already existing technologies for asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX). • This introduction of the term AJAX, gave the functionality a common name. • Often Ajax (lower case “jax”) is used for non-JavaScript and XML asynchronous implementations.

  10. Asynchronous Technologies Studied Four different approaches were studied: • AJAX • HTML Inline Frames • MS Remote Data Services (RDS) • Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 Load and Save

  11. Tests • An application with two primary parts was implemented. • Data Loading – downloading data from the Server to the Browser • Data Sending – sending data from the Browser to the Server

  12. Metrics • Complexity • LOCs: needed to implement applications • Dispersion (D): LOCsi in the main block, LOCso outside the main block, D = LOCso / (LOCsi + LOCso) • The fewer LOCs and low D we believe increase maintainability.

  13. Metrics • Runtimes • Data Loading time - the time needed to download data from the Server to the Browser • Data Sending time – the time needed to sending data from the Browser to the Server • Each of above were tested with 1KB, 10KB and 100KB datasets.

  14. Metrics • Features – subjective measure of the richness of each technologies feature set. • Drawbacks – subjective measure of shortcomings of each technology. • Browser Support – each test was attempted on Firefox, Opera, and IE 6.0

  15. Complexity: Loading Task

  16. Complexity: Saving Task

  17. AJAX - msecsOpera could not load more than 5KB;

  18. INLINE Frames - msecs

  19. MS Remote Data Services - msecsNote RDS is only supported by IE and only on server side; very fast loading; currently this technology is deprecated

  20. Document Object Model - msecscurrently very little support yet for this newest technology

  21. Conclusions • Inline Frames were not originally meant for asynchronous communication; high complexity • RDS provides very fast loading, but is too specialized as well as being nearly dead • DOM3 LS is still in the fledgling stages; poor browser support • AJAX performed consistently well in all decisive criteria. • For a much more detailed report on this problem see Stefan Potthast’s Thesis.

  22. Questions – only easy ones please!

  23. Influence to the Web Comparison AJAX HTMLInlineFrames RDS DOM3Load &Save Asynchronous Communication Architecture

  24. AJAX Loading Time

  25. AJAX Saving Time:Opera was not able to save more than 5 KB

  26. I-Frames Saving Date

  27. Inline Frames Loading Data

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