HTTP Re: Status Code For Overload

Henrik,

Let me elaborate a bit on John's message.
He wants a couple of new HTTP status codes put provisionally
into the spec.  I suggest you change
http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/Protocols/HTTP/HTRESP.html
to include them with a "Provisional -- under discussion"
comment.  The meaning sas I see them are, assuming the 

502 and 503 have not been taken,

Service overloaded now  502

	The server cannot process the request due to a
	high load (whether HTTP servicing or other requests).
	The implication is that this is a temporary condition
	which maybe alleviated at other times.

Gateway timeout 503  (Is this right John?)

	This is equivalent to Internal Error 500, but in the case of
	a server which is in turn accessing some other service, this
	indicates that the respose from the other service did not
	return within a time that the gateway was prepared to wait.
	As from the point of view of the clientand the HTTP
	transaction the other service is hidden within the server,
	this maybe treated identically to Internal error 500,
	but has more diagnostic value.

You can see from my wording that I feel that 502 is important
and 503 just useful.

Tim

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Wed, 14 Sep 1994 11:41-0400
From: John C. Mallery <JCMa@wilson.ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Status Code For Overload
To: www-lib@www0.cern.ch
Cc: timbl@lcs.mit.edu

I am adding a new server internal condition that is returned to
the client when the server is operating at capacity and cannot  
service
additional requests.

Talked to Tim and he thinks it's good idea.

What should the 5xxx number for it be?

502?

The string is: "Server Overloaded Now"

What is the status code for timeout? another 5xx please.

Received on Wednesday, 14 September 1994 19:16:02 UTC