Existing HTTP Protocol Architecture Traditional Methods for Server Push - Polling - Long Polling / Comet - Pushlets / Streaming Comet in detail - Possible issues with Comet and their solutions - Comet Demonstration : MediaMorph Where does HTML5 fit-in? HTML 5 Server Sockets

1. HTTP Server PushHTTP Server Push
TechniquesTechniques
www.folio3.com@folio_3

2. Folio3 – OverviewFolio3 – Overview
www.folio3.com @folio_3

3. Who We Are
 We are a Development Partner for our customers
 Design software solutions, not just implement them
 Focus on the solution – Platform and technology agnostic
 Expertise in building applications that are:
Mobile Social Cloud-based Gamified

4. What We Do
 Areas of Focus
 Enterprise
 Custom enterprise applications
 Product development targeting the enterprise
 Mobile
 Custom mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BB OS
 Mobile platform (server-to-server) development
 Social Media
 CMS based websites for consumers and enterprise (corporate, consumer,
community & social networking)
 Social media platform development (enterprise & consumer)

5. Folio3 At a Glance
 Founded in 2005
 Over 200 full time employees
 Offices in the US, Canada, Bulgaria & Pakistan
 Palo Alto, CA.
 Sofia, Bulgaria
 Karachi, Pakistan
Toronto, Canada

6. Areas of Focus: Enterprise
 Automating workflows
 Cloud based solutions
 Application integration
 Platform development
 Healthcare
 Mobile Enterprise
 Digital Media
 Supply Chain

7. Some of Our Enterprise Clients

8. Areas of Focus: Mobile
 Serious enterprise applications for Banks,
Businesses
 Fun consumer apps for app discovery,
interaction, exercise gamification and play
 Educational apps
 Augmented Reality apps
 Mobile Platforms

9. Some of Our Mobile Clients

10. Areas of Focus: Web & Social Media
 Community Sites based on
Content Management Systems
 Enterprise Social Networking
 Social Games for Facebook &
Mobile
 Companion Apps for games

11. Some of Our Web Clients

12. HTTP Server PushHTTP Server Push
TechniquesTechniques
www.folio3.com @folio_3

13. Agenda
 Existing HTTP Protocol Architecture
 Traditional Methods for Server Push
 Polling
 Long Polling / Comet
 Pushlets / Streaming
 Comet in detail
 Possible issues with Comet and their solutions
 Comet Demonstration : MediaMorph
 Where does HTML5 fit-in?
 HTML 5 Server Sockets

14. Existing HTTP Protocol Architecture
 Existing HTTP
 Stateless protocol
 Request – Response … The end !
 Client initiated communication, Always !
 Server is forgetful
 AJAX comes for help

15. Traditional Methods : Polling
 Polling
 Periodic requests by the client
 Time between requests would always be N time units

16. Traditional Methods : Polling
 Merits
 Works better with very high frequency updates
 May suit a very fast / frequent updating system
 Very simple to implement, mostly easiest of all methods
 Works with ancient systems too

17. Traditional Methods : Polling
 De-Merits
 Too much network overhead
 At times slower than expected results
 The updates would always come after N time units
 Possibly too many unnecessary requests
 Possible browser performance degradation on the client
side
 Does not allow cross-domain access

18. Traditional Methods : Long Polling
 Long Polling / Comet
 Client requests and waits for the server to respond
 The server only responds back when there is any update or
data available

19. Traditional Methods : Long Polling
 Merits
 Behaves very similar to what a real server push
mechanism would do
 Immediate response in case of an update from the server
 Comparative to Polling very low network overhead and
request count
 Works with most old and new systems
 Works even with IE 6 !!!

20. Traditional Methods : Long Polling
 De-Merits
 Slightly more complex to implement than polling
 May not work well with very frequent updates
 Needs special server & client configurations
 Needs to take into account the Read Timeout
enforcements by intermediate gateway or proxies
 Does not allow cross-domain access

21. Traditional Methods : Streaming
 Streaming / Pushlet
 One request to the server
 Infinitely long response with continuous messages from
the server
 Client does not talk back unless with a new request
 Javascript <Script> tag enclosed code snippets
 Script tag’s URL would be a comet server side URL.
Sending Javascript code snippets time to time.

22. Traditional Methods : Streaming
 Merits
 Behaves very similar to what a real server push
mechanism would do
 Allows cross-domain implementations, since javascript
urls can be cross-domain
 Immediate response in case of an update from the server
 Possibly very low network overhead
 Negligible request count

23. Traditional Methods : Streaming
 De-Merits
 May not be supported by some old systems
 May cause browser memory overhead because of a long
list of script tags executed on the page
 Client is unable to send new request parameters in
normal scenarios
 All post-event logic needs to be written on the server side
 Proxy servers could buffer responses causing issues

24. Possible issues with Comet and their solutions
 Read timeout
 Orphaned requests
 Very frequent updates – Hybrid Poll – Push.

25. Comet DemonstrationComet Demonstration
www.folio3.com @folio_3

26. Where does HTML5 fit-in?
 HTML5 offers many solutions addressing issues with existing
architectures
 One of the solutions is WebSockets
 WebSockets address almost all issues with the existing
systems

27. HTML5 WebSockets
 HTML5 WebSockets
 Provides bi-directional, full-duplex communications channels
 New URL schems

ws:// - For Plain WebSocket

wss:// - For Secure WebSocket
 Very low network overhead
 Only one request, true full-duplex communication
 Still a long way to go. It is substantial infrastructural change

28. How HTML5 WebSockets Work ?
 Four step lifecycle
 Browser Requests
 Server Responds with Acknowledgement Tokens
 Connection Establishment for Two way communication
 Connection closed by either party

29. Contact
 For more details about our
services, please get in touch with
us.
contact@folio3.com
US Office: (408) 365-4638
www.folio3.com