Persistent connections - timeout policies

Thanks to eveyone who helped with my previous problem regarding
persistent connections.

After using Libwww I was able to find the bug.

I have another question, more muse-worthy.

What are the favoured policies for implementing server side close of
persistent connections?

It seems to me that there are 2 options:

1. The clean up after pipeline method
At the end of receipt of request check for next request on the
socket
If there is a pipelined request then set the reponse headers to
continue the connection
If there is no pipelined request then set the response headers to
close the connection

2. the timeout method
Keep waiting for new requests on the socket for a timeout then close
the connection

Does anyone else agree?

Or do most people prefer that timeout is always used?

It seems that with tiemout it is not possible to cleanly close the
connection.

If a timeout system is used should the server send a response and
Connection: close header before it closes the connection?

Even though there might not be a request to respond to?




Nic Ferrier
Tapsell-Ferrier Ltd
www.tapsellferrier.co.uk

Received on Saturday, 29 May 1999 11:01:32 UTC