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HTTP protocol is connection-less and only the client can request information from a server. In any case, a server can contact a client… HTTP is purely half-duplex. Furthermore, a server can answer only one time to a client request.
Some websites or web applications require the server to update client from time to time. There were a few ways to do so:
- the client request the server at a regular interval to check if there is a new information available
- the client send a request to the server and the server answers as soon as he has an information to provide to the client (also known as long time polling)
But those methods have many drawbacks due to HTTP limitation.
So a new protocol has been designed: websockets, which allows a 2 ways communication (full duplex) between a client and a server, over a single TCP connection. Furthermore, websockets re-use the HTTP connection it was initialized on, which means it uses the standard TCP port.
Some websites or web applications require the server to update client from time to time. There were a few ways to do so:
- the client request the server at a regular interval to check if there is a new information available
- the client send a request to the server and the server answers as soon as he has an information to provide to the client (also known as long time polling)
But those methods have many drawbacks due to HTTP limitation.
So a new protocol has been designed: websockets, which allows a 2 ways communication (full duplex) between a client and a server, over a single TCP connection. Furthermore, websockets re-use the HTTP connection it was initialized on, which means it uses the standard TCP port.
