Hypertext Transfer Protocol Bis (httpbis) ----------------------------------------- Charter Last Modified: 2012-01-21 Current Status: Active Working Group Chair(s): Mark Nottingham Applications Area Director(s): Pete Resnick Peter Saint-Andre Applications Area Advisor: Peter Saint-Andre Mailing Lists: General Discussion:ietf-http-wg@w3.org To Subscribe: ietf-http-wg-request@w3.org In Body: subscribe Archive: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/ietf-http-wg/ Description of Working Group: This Working Group is charged with maintaining and developing the "core" specifications for HTTP. The Working Group's specification deliverables are: * A document (or set of documents) that is suitable to supersede RFC 2616 (HTTP/1.1) and move RFC 2817 to Historic status * A document cataloguing the security properties of HTTP/1.1 * A document that specifies HTTP/2.0 an improved binding of HTTP's semantics to the underlying transport. HTTP/1.1 -------- HTTP is one of the most successful and widely-used protocols on the Internet today. However, its specification has several editorial issues. Additionally, after years of implementation and extension, several ambiguities have become evident, impairing interoperability and the ability to easily implement and use HTTP. The working group will refine RFC2616 to: * Incorporate errata and updates (e.g., references, IANA registries, ABNF) * Fix editorial problems which have led to misunderstandings of the specification * Clarify conformance requirements * Remove known ambiguities where they affect interoperability * Clarify existing methods of extensibility * Remove or deprecate those features that are not widely implemented and also unduly affect interoperability * Where necessary, add implementation advice * Document the security properties of HTTP and its associated mechanisms (e.g., Basic and Digest authentication, cookies, TLS) for common applications It will also incorporate the generic authentication framework from RFC 2617, without obsoleting or updating that specification's definition of the Basic and Digest schemes. Finally, it will incorporate relevant portions of RFC 2817 (in particular, the CONNECT method and advice on the use of Upgrade), so that that specification can be moved to Historic status. In doing so, it should consider: * Implementer experience * Demonstrated use of HTTP * Impact on existing implementations and deployments HTTP/2.0 -------- There is emerging implementation experience and interest in a protocol that retains the semantics of HTTP, without the legacy of HTTP/1.x message framing and syntax. The Working Group will leverage this to create new major version of HTTP. Although work on this new version will begin in parallel with completion of work on HTTP/1.1, the Working Group will prioritize HTTP/1.1 work until it is complete. Particular goals of this effort include: * Significantly improved perceived performance for common use cases (e.g., browsers, mobile) * More efficient use of network resources; in particular, reducing the need to use multiple TCP connections * Ability to be deployed on today's Internet, using IPv4 and IPv6, in the presence of NATs * Maintaining HTTP's ease of deployment * Reflecting modern security requirements and practices In documenting this protocol, the Working Group must: * Meet the goals specified above * Make it possible to pass through a HTTP/1.1 message with reasonable fidelity; i.e., to implement a gateway to or from HTTP/1.1 * consider the needs of a variety of HTTP implementers and users (such as "back-end" or "web api" uses of HTTP, servers and intermediaries) * Address HTTP proxy and CDN infrastructure requirements Changes to the existing semantics of HTTP are out of scope in order to preserve the meaning of messages that might cross a 1.1 --> 2.0 --> 1.1 request chain. However, the effort may define new semantics to further the goals above, along with suitable extensibility mechanisms for defining additional semantics. This work will be known as "HTTP/2.0", unless the Working Group determines that this isn't suitable (e.g., for interoperability). Goals and Milestones: Done First HTTP/1.1 Revision Internet Draft Done First HTTP Security Properties Internet Draft Feb 2012 Working Group Last Call for HTTP/1.1 Revision Feb 2012 Working Group Last Call for HTTP Security Properties Apr 2012 Submit HTTP/1.1 Revision to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard Apr 2012 Submit HTTP Security Properties to IESG for consideration as Informational RFC May 2012 First HTTP/2.0 Internet Draft May 2013 Request Last Call for HTTP/2.0 Jul 2013 Submit HTTP/2.0 to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard