Web Protocols and Practice: HTTP/1.1, Networking Protocols, Caching, and Traffic Measurement by Balachander Krishnamurthy, Jennifer Rexford, Jennifer Rexford

From the Publisher

Praise for Web Protocols and Practice

“This is the most comprehensive, well-researched coverage of the basic Web protocols that I have seen. The authors have done especially well at uncovering the history and rationale of the protocol design process.”

“This book will help demystify how the Internet and the Web work. Despite the current Web’s size and importance, it can be broken down into a small number of components that can be understood and controlled. This encyclopedic tome can be read straight through or used as a reference by those trying to understand or build sophisticated Internet applications.”

“Web Protocols and Practice covers the most important Internet application—the Web—with unprecedented breadth, depth, and motivation. An important reference book for anyone who wants to understand the Web architecture inside and out.”

“The authors have gathered and explained a great deal of material not found elsewhere and created an encyclopedia of the how and why of the Web.”

“I learned a lot about the reasons for Webperformance—from microscopic detail about specific interactions of layers to macroscopic traffic related issues. Everyone will want this book.”

“This book is likely to be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the protocols and infrastructure behind the Web. I especially like the attention to the evolution and historical development of the Web protocols and to the sometimes unanticipated interactions between the various protocols.”

“This is a book that could very well have been entitled ‘Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Web But Did Not Know Who to Ask’.”

“The book is especially useful for Web site developers who can improve the user experience at their sites through a better understanding of the protocol performance issues discussed throughout the book. The material on the evolution from HTTP 1.0 to 1.1 is difficult to find outside of scattered research papers and standards documents. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for Web professionals and anyone interested in learning what makes the Web tick.”

“The authors have done a superb job in explaining the complex interactions of the Web protocols. The book is a unique resource for anyone who wants to learn how the Web really works.”

“It’s a great book for anyone interested in deep knowledge of Web-based techniques and is a must for Web architects and administrators.”

“Good book! Describes things I have not seen before in print. Perfect for people who have a need to understand how HTTP works.”

Web Protocols and Practice: HTTP/1.1, Networking Protocols, Caching, and Traffic Measurement is an all-in-one reference to the core technologies underlying the World Wide Web. The book provides an authoritative and in-depth look at the systems and protocols responsible for the transfer of content across the Web. The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is responsible for nearly three-quarters of the traffic on today¿s Internet. This book¿s extensive treatment of HTTP/1.1 and its interaction with other network protocols make it an indispensable resource for both practitioners and students.

Providing both the evolution and complete details of the basic building blocks of the Web, Web Protocols and Practice begins with an overview of Web software components and follows up with a description of the suite of protocols that form the semantic core of how content is delivered on the Web. The book later examines Web measurement and workload characterization and presents a cutting-edge report on Web caching and multimedia streaming. It concludes with a discussion on research perspectives that highlight topics that may affect the future evolution of the Web.

Numerous examples and case studies throughout the book detail key developments in Web technology, including the following:

• The history and evolution of the Web¿s key software components, including clients, proxies, and servers
• Exploration of scripts, search engines, spiders, cookies, and authentication
• The standard protocols: Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Domain Name System (DNS), and the first detailed coverage of the HTTP/1.1 standard
• The evolving suite of protocols for transferring multimedia streams, including the Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
• Techniques for collecting and analyzing Web traffic measurements
• Web caching, inter-cache protocols, caching hardware and software, and the move toward content distribution networks
• Evolving technologies specific to caching, measurement, and protocols

Timely and in-depth, Web Protocols and Practice: HTTP/1.1, Networking Protocols, Caching, and Traffic Measurement is the first book to document the Web¿s technical backbone in a comprehensive manner.

Booknews

This guide for professionals and students of Web technology describes the technical underpinnings of the World Wide Web. Krishnamurthy and Rexford (both AT&T Labs-Research) discuss the systems and protocols responsible for the transfer of Web content. The focus is on the mature and stable aspects of the Web, rather than the rapidly changing techniques for creating and displaying Web content. The volume includes detailed examples of the HTTP protocol, an overview of Web caching and multimedia streaming, and case studies of the Apache Web server, the Squid proxy, and traffic measurement techniques. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Forewords & Introductions

Table of Contents

Forewords & Introductions

Introduction

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the systems and protocols responsible for the transfer of Web content. The audience for this book includes Web technologists, Web site administrators, developers who rely on the Web infrastructure, students in networking and the Web, and the Web research community. The book focuses on the mature and stable aspects of the Web. In contrast to the rapidly changing techniques for creating and displaying Web content, the standardized communication protocols discussed in the book change relatively slowly. A variety of examples, state-of-the-art reports, and case studies are used to illustrate theoperation of the Web and the interplay among the various components. The book includes detailed examples of the HTTP protocol, a state-of-the-art overview of Web caching and multimedia streaming, and case studies of the Apache Web server, the Squid proxy, and traffic measurement techniques. The book is a valuable resource for understanding the technology and current practices of the Web.

Organization of the Book

The first section of the book consists of an opening chapter that provides a broad overview of the evolution of the World Wide Web and discusses the Web's naming infrastructure, document language, and message exchange protocol. The remainder of the book is divided into five sections consisting of 14 chapters:

• Software components: These three chapters present the inner workings of clients, proxies, and servers, including a discussion of related topics such as scripts, handlers, search engines, cookies, and authentication.

• Web protocols: The core of the book, these four chapters present the networking protocols underlying the Web (Internet Protocol, Transmission Control Protocol, and the Domain Name System), the design of HTTP/1.0, a comprehensive overview of HTTP/1.1, and the interaction between http and TCP.

• Traffic measurement and workload characterization: These two chapters describe the various techniques for measuring and analyzing Web traffic, as well as an overview of the key parameters of Web workload models used in evaluating Web performance.

• Web caching and multimedia streaming: These two chapters provide a state-of-the-art overview of key Web applications. Web caching involves moving content closer to the user to reduce user-perceived latency and the load on the server and the network. Multimedia streaming involves overlapping the transfer of audio and video data with the playback at the receiver.

• Research perspectives: These three chapters present research perspectives on caching, measurement, and protocols to provide a glimpse of the evolving technology in these areas and reinforce the material presented in the earlier parts of the book.

Intended Audience

The book is self-contained and does not assume any prior knowledge of Web or networking technology. An extensive bibliography points readers to additional information on specific topics. The book has several audience segments, including:

• Students: Undergraduate students in advanced courses and graduate students can use the book as an introduction to the protocol, network, and measurement aspects of the Web. The book is self-contained and does not assume the student is familiar with network protocols. We do assume a basic familiarity with computer science concepts. The book includes case studies and research perspectives to guide students in applying the ideas they have learned. The book's focus on core concepts and protocol evolution ensures that the student acquires knowledge that has broad applications beyond any particular realization of Web technology.

• Web technologists: The book provides developers with an in-depth treatment of the various protocols and software components in the Web. A developer can learn about HTTP and the related networking protocols, such as IP, TCP, and DNS, and their relationship to Web clients, proxies, and servers. In addition, the book includes an extensive treatment of Web traffic measurement andworkload characterization that can aid developers in evaluating and improving the performance of their software in realistic settings.

• Web and networking researchers: Academic and industrial researchers can use the book as a primary source of information about the technical underpinnings of the Web and its relationship to the Internet. The core portions of the book highlight the mature technologies underlying the Web, to provide the necessary context for research work in this area. The advanced material on research perspectives provides a timely view of ongoing work that may influence the evolution of the Web, and the extensive bibliography points the reader to research publications and standards documents with additional details.

• Web administrators: Administrators of Web proxies and servers can develop a deeper understanding of the operation of these software components. The book can serve as a reference for key concepts and protocol features. The emphasis on performance issues can aid administrators in tuning the configuration of a proxy or server, complementing other texts that present detailed guidelines of how to configure a particular hardware or software platform. The material on Web measurement and the interaction between HTTP and networking protocols can help administrators in diagnosing performance problems.

The book can be used as a reference, a self-study guide, or part of a one- or two-semester course on Web technology or networking. Readers may follow a variety of paths through the book, depending on their backgrounds and interests. Some readers may skip the elementary chapters, whereas other readers may skip the research perspectives material.