(HyperText Transfer Protocol) The communications protocol used to connect to Web servers on the Internet or on a local network (intranet). Its primary function is to establish a connection with the server and send HTML pages back to the user's browser. It is also used to download files from the server either to the browser or to any other requesting application that uses HTTP.
Addresses of Web sites begin with an http:// prefix; however, Web browsers typically default to the HTTP protocol. For example, typing www.yahoo.com is the same as typing http://www.yahoo.com. In fact, only yahoo.com has to be typed in. The browser adds the rest.
HTTP vs. HTTPS
With HTTP, the Web page is transmitted without any encryption. However, HTTPS (HTTP Secure) is used to encrypt sensitive data such as credit card and social security numbers (see HTTPS).
A Stateless Connection
HTTP is a "stateless" request/response system. The connection is maintained between client and server only for the immediate request, and the connection is closed. After the HTTP client establishes a TCP connection with the server and sends it a request command, the server sends back its response and closes the connection.
The first version of HTTP caused considerable overhead. Each time a graphics file on the page was requested, a new protocol connection had to be established between the browser and the server. In HTTP Version 1.1, multiple files could be downloaded with the same connection. It also improved caching and made it easier to create virtual hosts (multiple Web sites on the same server). See HTTP header and cookie.
Web Server Fundamentals
Web browsers communicate with Web servers via the TCP/IP protocol. The browser sends HTTP requests to the server, which responds by sending back headers (messages) and files (HTML pages, image files, Java applets, etc.). See HTTP header.
Addresses of Web sites begin with an http:// prefix; however, Web browsers typically default to the HTTP protocol. For example, typing www.yahoo.com is the same as typing http://www.yahoo.com. In fact, only yahoo.com has to be typed in. The browser adds the rest.
HTTP vs. HTTPS
With HTTP, the Web page is transmitted without any encryption. However, HTTPS (HTTP Secure) is used to encrypt sensitive data such as credit card and social security numbers (see HTTPS).
A Stateless Connection
HTTP is a "stateless" request/response system. The connection is maintained between client and server only for the immediate request, and the connection is closed. After the HTTP client establishes a TCP connection with the server and sends it a request command, the server sends back its response and closes the connection.
The first version of HTTP caused considerable overhead. Each time a graphics file on the page was requested, a new protocol connection had to be established between the browser and the server. In HTTP Version 1.1, multiple files could be downloaded with the same connection. It also improved caching and made it easier to create virtual hosts (multiple Web sites on the same server). See HTTP header and cookie.
Web Server Fundamentals
Web browsers communicate with Web servers via the TCP/IP protocol. The browser sends HTTP requests to the server, which responds by sending back headers (messages) and files (HTML pages, image files, Java applets, etc.). See HTTP header.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Mac Help Widget 2.5 (Mac)
- Mac Help Widget uses PHONE, CHAT (ichat, adium, etc) or EMAIL (Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage, etc) to get support for Macintosh OS X and OS X Server. If no one is online to answer your chat, the request can be sent via email with a very prompt response. Service is...
- Software downloads 2009-11-21
- Ballmer: Windows 7 sales on a roll
- Oh boy... this should be a fun Talkback... ntntyeap...for sure we'll be hearing what everyone has already said "ad nauseum".BallSack is a MoronPlain and Simple.I'm sure Win7 sales are decent. After all, it's hard to get an OS-less computer.....It is easy enough to get linuxpre-installed.Or buy a MacHowever,...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- Microsoft still working on an Adobe Lightroom competitor, but with a social twist
- Maybe MS needs myLife instead of focusing on cloud everything.I've been a Windows user since Windows 1.0 on MS-DOS. I used Multiplan and Word with a mouse before Windows even existed. Over the years I've purchased so many copies of MS Office, OS upgrades, mice, keyboards, joysticks, development environments (MASM,...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- iTablet goes OLED,??bumped until late 2010
- $2000? I doubt it.Apple puts themselves in a "premium" price range, but $2000 for a 10" tablet? Even they're not THAT crazy.No ThanksDon't need or want either, waste of space...If I want real gaming, I'd rather play real games on my PS3 or Wii on my flat screen; or on...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Live from Googleplex: Chrome OS details revealed
- Ubuntu 9.10 has more immediate potentialMight I suggest trying Ubuntu 9.10? A phenominal OS with much more to offer then even Windows 7.Open source, free and ready to try today...http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=1122http://www.tuxradar.com/content/vista-windows-7-ubuntu-904-and-910-boot-speed-comparisonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYgWE6Svpaghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16-nad9N3pgNot that I have readI'd stick with 904immediate potential to sink in obscurityGoogle was Linux's last fleeting chance to turn...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- FAA hit with network glitch; Flight plans go manual
- Another glitch with a linux network? Its hard to believe people still use it for anything critical like the FAA and flight tracking. Its a toy OS and should not be used when the lives of people are dependent upon it.Cisco supplies the network backboneIt will be interesting to see...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- NComputing announces new Microsoft partnership
- interestingThis will be very interesting as we shall finally see what kind of license is required for running a virtualized desktop OS. Will it be TS CAL license, VECD license etcThis will set a precedence for the rest of the market as there ARE other virtualization solution similar to NComputing...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-19
- Mozilla locks out rogue Firefox add-ons
- Firefox has conquered IEIt is evident that Firefox free has conquered IE, plus the fact the majority of sites work regardless of browser.The days of this old bait & switch from MS are over.But I thought the whole point behind "open source"......was to allow ANYONE to put code in their...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- Forget touch screen, just breathe into it
- I just hope people switch back to touch after lunch...Sometimes you want people to keep their mouths shut as much as possible.RE: Forget touch screen, just breathe into itSounds really sanitary... What happens when you sneeze into it? That activates the "shuffle mode" on your iPodor the iFart app,...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- What's next for Microsoft's Azure cloud platform?
- So MS is going cloud...Well, well, isn't this interesting. Does MS concede that the era of packaged client software is over? Again, MS is the follower and not the leader, and again, MS is following Google to the clouds. My prediction is that this will be a field day...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- ATI Radeon HD 5970 is world's fastest graphics card
- Isn't this card a little.... bigEven for most gaming class full-tower PC's?No, this is typical for high-end gaming cardsMost ATX cases will handle this. The main problem might be the power supply!And It's ATI...So I Will PassATI is garbage....I'll wait for NVIDIA's 300 series response...I was an ATI fan...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- Firefox faces browser clone war in China
- Come on ZDNet!!!!Is this really newsworthy????Newsworthy? That's not the point...ZDNet's intent was not to write about anything worthwhile. It's intent was to draw you in and to have you read further in order to get you to visit at least one more page in their web-site.If they had...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- Adobe CTO: Flash in the future
- cocowarmth Replica watches within my arms ?drink deep the Rolex Replica cup of moonlight;drink deep the Rolex shop magic charms.We'll learn poetry by Rolex moonlight
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Averatec All-In-One D1130 (black)
- cowalk with Designer Handbags me in moonlight.We'll rejoice the Louis Vuitton replica handbags close of day.Talk with me as Replica Handbags moonlight sparkles dreams before our way.Draw closer
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 3.06Hz Intel Core 2 Duo, Nvidia GeForce 9400M, Fall 2009)
- We awarded Apple an Editors' Choice for its new $1,699 iMac, largely because its 27-inch screen dwarfs its competition in that price range. So what to make of Apple's new lower-end iMac? At $1,199, its 21.5-inch screen is hardly the size leader for its price, and without a touch screen...
- Product reviews 2009-11-17
- The weirdest Easter egg ever seen on Facebook
- Contra...Isn't that the extra lives/weapons cheat code for Contra on NES?The Konami Codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konami_CodeInterestingly, the article already makes reference to the Facebook Easter Egg.Funny you should mention that...It's apparently called a Konami code (http://twitter.com/the_pc_doc/status/5813662529)I'm waaaay too young to know that :)RE: The weirdest Easter egg ever seen on FacebookThis is very...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- Cap and trade controversial in Australia
- This is what happened:An Australian researcher who was critical of mainstream theories got censored.The new Inquisition: dare to raise your voice against the enviro-whackos and they get all angry.CEC FAILs againCEC claims: [i]"An Australian researcher who was critical of mainstream theories got censored."[/i]He wasn't censored for disagreeing with the global...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- AT&T plots compute cloud similar to Amazon Web Services
- Best InformationBest Information...I like ithttp://www.canada-radio.co.tv/http://www.canada-radio.co.tv/http://www.canada-radio.co.tv/Yea net nutrality isn't important at all....tell that to Amazon.So much for predictionsSince it has been predicted that there would be only four or five "clouds", seems like everyone is building infrastructure to handle massive work loads. I expect some are just "shells" and a lot...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- (Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week)
- Dell is most admiredDell is most admired...I like it..please tryhttp://www.canada-radio.co.tv/http://www.canada-radio.co.tv/http://www.canada-radio.co.tv/
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
- IBM researchers speed up medical diagnostic testing via chip
- A step in the right directionIf this can provide reliable quantitative values and isn't too expensive, it would be a great asset. Being able to get a full initial blood workup in minutes using this technology could reduce some of the cost of health care by allowing a physician to...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-17
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Keep Up With The Latest In Document Management with The DocuMentor.
-
> Doc delivers the scoop on today's enterprise content management, printer maintenance, and all other issues related to document management. It's the DocuMentor Blog.
- Learn more >>
- New Online Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems.
- Learn more >>
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.
- Learn more >>
SmartPlanet
- Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
- More from IBM
-
- How to Drive Better Business Outcomes with Exceptional Web Experiences Download the eBook
- Driving Business Agility through SOA Connectivity & Integration Read the White Paper from IBM
- Linking Decisions and Information for Organizational Performance Read the Tom Davenport study
