What is Pipeline Processing?
Pipeline processing refers to the method of designing information processing systems where the output of one process serves as the input for the next process, enabling multiple processes to operate in parallel. Examples include the instruction pipelines within a CPU, graphic pipelines in 3D graphics, and the pipe functionality implemented in UNIX.
In the context of the internet, pipeline processing generally refers to HTTP pipelining. HTTP pipelining allows multiple HTTP requests to be handled in parallel over a single TCP connection, a feature introduced with HTTP/1.1.
Before HTTP pipelining, communication with a web server operated sequentially: a request was sent, the client waited for the response, and only after receiving a response was the next request sent. Since a single webpage typically involves not only an HTML file but also CSS, JavaScript, and image files, this sequential process resulted in longer page load times.
With HTTP pipelining, clients can send multiple requests to a web server without waiting for responses, receiving the responses as they arrive. This significantly reduces the response time for web applications, enhancing user experience.