Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is one of the most ubiquitous protocols on the Internet. It is also one of the few protocols that bridges the gap between networking and application development groups, containing information used by both in the delivery and development of Web-based applications.
The inner workings of HTTP, particularly the headers used by the client and the server to exchange information regarding state and capabilities, often have an impact on the performance of Web-based applications. Understanding HTTP and how these headers control the behavior of those applications can lead to better end-user performance, as well as making it easier to choose an application acceleration solution that addresses the shortcomings of HTTP and browser-based solutions.
