web application delivery
Web applications have evolved since the early days of the internet, which contained simple, static content, used for informational purposes only. The HTTP protocol has proven remarkably adept at keeping up with the demands placed upon it, acting as the backbone on which much of the Internet’s content is still delivered. In addition to HTTP, there is also a whole range of other protocols dedicated to delivering functionality and data between hosts; for example SMTP for mail delivery, FTP for file transfers, NNTP for news groups and HTTPS for providing secure HTTP.
The problem that these (and many other) protocols have in common is born of the early roots of the Internet; that is that they are inherently ‘chatty’ and inefficient when used to deliver the complex functionality demanded by today’s Internet users.
key points
